Blackened-Tuna Salad With Remoulade Sauce

By Molly O’Neill

Published July 18, 1998

Total Time
40 minutes
Rating
5(53)
Comments
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Featured in: Food; Name That Tuna

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

FOR THE BLACKENING SPICE

  • 1 tablespoon paprika

  • 1 ½ teaspoons oregano

  • 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt

  • 1 teaspoon granulated garlic powder

  • ½ teaspoon onion powder

  • ½ teaspoon sugar

  • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

FOR THE REMOULADE

  • ½ cup mayonnaise, preferably homemade

  • 1 ½ teaspoons minced capers

  • 6 drops Tabasco

  • 1 teaspoon tomato paste

  • ½ teaspoon minced fresh tarragon

  • ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard

  • 3 grinds white pepper

FOR THE SALAD

  • 1 ½ pounds tuna steak, in 1 piece, about 1 ¼ inches thick

  • 1 ½ teaspoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 4 chunks

  • 2 bunches watercress, washed and tough stems removed

  • 2 heads Belgium endive, sliced into rings

  • 1 large tomato, seeded and diced

  • 16 large basil leaves, finely sliced, plus more for garnish

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    To make the blackening spice, combine all the ingredients and mix thoroughly. Set aside.

  2. Step 2

    To make the remoulade, combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

  3. Step 3

    To make the salad, place a cast-iron skillet over high heat for 5 minutes and turn on the exhaust fan. Place the blackening spice on a plate and use your hands to adhere as much as possible to the fish, covering all sides. Place 2 chunks of the butter on one side of the fish and place it, butter side down, in the hot pan. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the surface of the fish is lightly blackened. Place the remaining butter on the uncooked side of the fish and turn. Cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, or until the tuna is medium rare. Place the tuna on a cutting board and set aside.

  4. Step 4

    In a large bowl, combine the watercress, endive, tomato and the 16 basil leaves. Add 4 tablespoons of the remoulade and toss to coat. Transfer the greens to a platter. Using a sharp knife, slice the tuna on the bias into thin slices. Lay the slices over the greens and top the tuna with the remaining remoulade. Garnish with more thinly sliced basil and serve.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
53 user ratings
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Comments

Jen

Be aware that the 2-3 minutes per side cooking time is geared toward 1-1/4” thick. I cooked a piece 3/4” thick 2 minutes each side and it was well done. Next time I’ll only go 60-90 seconds per side.

EZE

Never tried Belgium endive before. That with the homemade remoulade sauce, and perfectly blackened tuna steak using a homemade spice rub, made this recipe one of my favorites. A decadent culinary repast.

deb

this was a great way to have perfectly cooked tuna on tasty salad greens. I just added some tiny roasted potatoes to round it out. Will definitely make again. Of course must use sushi quality tuna.

Jen

Be aware that the 2-3 minutes per side cooking time is geared toward 1-1/4” thick. I cooked a piece 3/4” thick 2 minutes each side and it was well done. Next time I’ll only go 60-90 seconds per side.

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