Culinary Art

                                     SEARED TUNA
                 How you serve tuna is entirely up to you, but I prefer my tuna to be seared
                 on the outside and rare in the center. When tuna is perfectly cooked, you
                 don’t need a lot of embellishments—just a drizzle of olive oil will suffice.

SERVES 2

2 tuna loin steaks, preferably yellowfin, cut 1in (2.5cm)

   thick and weighing 6–7oz (175–200g) each

olive oil sea salt and cracked white pepper

On the first side, watch the color of
the fish gradually change from the
bottom of the steak until just below
the halfway mark.
until the color changes to just below
the halfway mark again. There should
be a thin stripe of uncooked tuna
running through the center.

On the first side, watch the color of
the fish gradually change from the
bottom of the steak until just below
the halfway mark.
until the color changes to just below
the halfway mark again. There should
be a thin stripe of uncooked tuna
running through the center.


Pat the fish with paper towelsto remove any condensation. The fish should be completely dry before cooking.
Put a non-stick skillet over high heat, splash in enough oil to cover the bottom thinly, and heat until hot. To check the oil is hot enough, hold your hand about 3in (7cm) above the pan—you should feel the heat rising on your palm.
Sprinkle the fish on one side only with salt and pepper.
Place seasoned side down in the hot oil and sprinkle the top with salt and pepper. Turn the heat down to medium-high and leave undisturbed for about 2 minutes.
Flip the fish over with a metal spatula, and cook undisturbed again for about 2 minutes. Remove the tuna to a cutting board and let rest for a few minutes.
Working across the grain with a very sharp knife, cut each steak into
1/4 in (5mm) thick slices. Serve sprinkled with salt and pepper, and drizzled with olive oil if you like.

For the best results, let your eyes do the timing as well as the clock. Recipes that
give precise cooking times will often disappoint because they can’t know the exact
degree of heat you use, nor the type of pan or precise thickness of the steak.

The thickness of the fish is important.
If it’s cut too thin the steak will
overcook and be dry, but if it’s too
thick you’ll find it difficult to get the 
center right without overcooking the
outside. Always buy tuna from the
fishmonger so you can get it cut to
the exact thickness you want.

If you don’t have a non-stick pan, or

the one you have has seen better days,

you may find that the tuna sticks when

the time comes to turn it over. Don’t

panic. Turn the heat up to high and

leave the fish undisturbed for another

minute or two until it gets well colored

on the bottom and cooked up to the

top edge. Then baste it with the hot

oil from the pan to color the top. The

underside will be crisp and dry, and

the tuna will come away easily from the pan. The fish will be medium rather                                                                                                

 than rare, but it will look good—and it

 will be all in one piece.