Char-Grilled Tuna With Toasted Corn Vinaigrette And Avocado Salad
Published July 10, 1993
- Total Time
- About 1 hour 30 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
THE TUNA
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
1 tablespoon chopped rosemary
2 tablespoons chopped basil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger
4 3-by-3-by-2-inch cubes of fresh tuna, 6 ounces each
½ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
THE VINAIGRETTE
½ cup olive oil
½ cup fresh corn kernels
⅓ cup minced red onion
⅓ cup chopped scallions
¾ teaspoon finely chopped fresh ginger
1 small clove garlic, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
¾ teaspoon chopped thyme
1 ½ teaspoons chopped basil
¾ teaspoon chopped cilantro, plus a few whole leaves for garnish
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
THE SALAD
4 cups mixed salad greens
2 avocados, peeled, halved, pitted and each half sliced in half lengthwise
Preparation
- Step 1
To make the tuna, combine the lemon rind, rosemary, basil, garlic and ginger in a large bowl and toss with the tuna. Let marinate at least 1 hour. Heat a grill, preferably using hard wood.
- Step 2
To make the vinaigrette, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a medium-size cast-iron skillet. Add the corn and cook until brown. Add the red onion and scallions and cook until translucent. Add the ginger and garlic and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in the vinegar and orange juice and remove from heat. Slowly stir in the remaining olive oil and the herbs. Season with salt and pepper. Let stand at room temperature.
- Step 3
To make the salad, divide the greens among 4 plates. Cut each piece of avocado lengthwise into thirds, leaving the narrow ends intact. Fanning out the slices, lean 2 slices against the outside of each salad.
- Step 4
When the grill is hot, season the tuna on both sides with the salt and pepper and brush with olive oil. Place on the grill and cook until tuna is charred on the outside and medium in the center, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove from heat and slice each piece into quarters. Drape 4 slices of tuna across the top of each salad. Spoon the vinaigrette over the top, garnish with cilantro leaves and serve immediately.
Private Notes
Comments
I’ve been cooking this on special occasions since it first appeared in The Times years ago. The only change I make is to double or triple the corn relish recipe. The olive oil volume can remain at 1/2 cup, but all other ingredients in the corn vinaigrette are doubled or tripled. The corn relish is what makes this recipe special. It’s wonderful even when you’re forced to use frozen corn.
This is a delightfully refreshing recipe - perfect for a warm summer’s night. I doubled the corn but not the oil or balsamic as I don’t like my salads too dressing-y. Would make again!
We’re not big tuna lovers but we have a fisherman friend so I needed to find a good recipe for the yellow fin fillets in the freezer and this one nailed it! The corn vinaigrette was wonderful and the avocado a nice balance with the fish. Keeping it pink in the middle was key. An excellent summer meal
Excellent
