Best Pepper Crusted Tuna Recipes

PEPPER-CRUSTED TUNA

Steps:

• Season the tuna with salt on both sides, then press the peppercorns into both sides. Heat the olive oil in a large cast-iron skillet until almost smoking. Add the tuna and lower the heat to medium. Sear the tuna until browned on the outside but still rare in the center, about 4 to 5 minutes per side. Thinly slice the tuna and fan the slices onto 4 plates. Serve immediately.

GUAM "VOLCANO" TUNA (PEPPER-CRUSTED TUNA WITH GINGER-WASABI DIPPING SAUCE)

Steps:

• 1. Prepare the dipping sauce: If you are using powdered wasabi, place it in a mixing bowl and add 1 tablespoon of warm water. Stir to form a paste and let stand for about 5 minutes. If you are using wasabi paste, place it in a mixing bowl. Grate the ginger on a fine grater into the bowl; you should have about 1 tablespoon. Cut the lemon in half and cut a thin slice off one half. Cut the slice in quarters, remove any seeds, and set the lemon quarters aside for garnishing the sauce. Squeeze the juice from the remaining lemon into the bowl, squeezing it through your fingers to catch any seeds. Add the soy sauce, scallion, and chile and stir to mix well. Divide the sauce among 4 small bowls. Float a quarter lemon slice in each bowl. The dipping sauce can be prepared up to 1 hour ahead.
• 2. Prepare the tuna: Place the tuna steaks on a large plate and thickly crust them with cracked peppercorns, pressing the pepper onto the fish on both sides and the edges. Generously season the tuna with Old Bay seasoning and salt. Place the olive oil in a shallow bowl.
• 3. Set up the grill for direct grilling and preheat it to high.
• 4. When ready to cook, brush and oil the grill grate. Dip each piece of tuna in the olive oil on both sides, then arrange it on the hot grate. The dripping oil may and should cause flare-ups-it's supposed to. The flames will help sear the crust. Grill the tuna until it is dark and crusty on the outside but still very rare inside, 2 to 3 minutes per side, turning with tongs. When done the tuna should feel quite soft when poked.
• 5. Transfer the grilled tuna steaks to a cutting board and cut them into 1/4-inch slices. Cut down through the steaks, holding the blade perpendicular to the cutting board. Each slice will have a dark crusty exterior and a blood-rare center. Fan out the slices on a platter or plates. Garnish the tuna with lemon or lime wedges and serve the bowls of dipping sauce alongside.

TOASTED FENNEL CRUSTED TUNA WITH SAFFRON-RED PEPPER SAUCE AND SPRING VEGETABLE COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Place fennel seeds in a coffee grinder and coarsely grind and place on a large plate. Brush tuna with olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Preheat saute pan or grill pan over high heat until smoking. Dredge one side of the tuna in the fennel seeds. Saute, fennel-side down for 2 to 3 minutes until golden brown, turn over and continue cooking for 1 to 2 minutes for rare doneness.
• Heat oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook until soft. Add the red peppers, vinegar, water and saffron and bring to a simmer. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes. Place in a blender and blend until smooth, season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the couscous and cook until lightly golden brown. Cover with water and 2 tablespoons of salt. Cook until al dente, drain and place into a large bowl. Heat remaining 3 tablespoons of oil in a large saute pan and saute the vegetables until just cooked through. Add the vegetables and oil to the couscous. Whisk together the soy sauce and harissa and pour over the couscous and mix to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

CORIANDER, FENNEL, AND PEPPER CRUSTED TUNA WITH WATERMELON SALSA

Steps:

• To prepare the watermelon salsa, in a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients and season with salt and pepper.
• To prepare spice blend, grind all spices in a mini food processor or spice grinder they are powdery. Spread the spice mixture evenly on a large plate.
• Rinse the tuna fillets and pat dry. Place one side of each piece of tuna into the spice mixture. Shake off excess.
• In a 10-inch nonstick skillet, heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil over high heat until almost smoking. Carefully place two of the tuna fillets, spiced side down, into the skillet. A spice crust should form within 1 minute. Using kitchen tongs, turn over the tuna, lower the heat to medium, and cook for 2 to 5 minutes to desired doneness. Repeat the process with the remaining tuna fillets. For Watermelon Salsa:

SEARED RED AND BLACK PEPPER CRUSTED TUNA WITH PINEAPPLE-RED CHILE SAUCE AND SEASONED FRENCH FRIES

Steps:

• Place pineapple juice in a medium saucepan over high heat and reduce to 3 cups. Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook until soft. Add the ancho and chile de arbol powder and cook for 2 minutes. Add the reduced pineapple juice, bring to a boil, and cook until reduced to 2 cups. Place mixture in a blender and blend until smooth. Strain into a clean medium saucepan over medium heat, add the honey and cook for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Mix together the spices in a medium bowl. Brush the tuna on each side with olive oil and season with salt. Dredge 1 side of each tuna in the spice mixture. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until almost smoking. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sear the tuna spice-side down for 2 to 3 minutes, until a crust forms. Turn over and continue cooking for 1 to 2 minutes for rare doneness.
• Mix together the salt, ancho powder and cumin in a small bowl. Heat vegetable oil to 325 degrees F in a fryer. Fry the potatoes in batches until lightly browned. Drain on paper towels. Increase the temperature of the oil to 375 degrees, put the potatoes, in batches, back into the oil and fry until brown and crisp. Remove the fries from the oil with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towels and immediately season with the spice mixture.

PEPPER CRUSTED AHI TUNA WITH SWEET AND SPICY ASIAN SLAW

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl combine extra virgin olive oil, soy sauce, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, honey, mayonnaise, lime zest, minced garlic, minced ginger, salt, and brown sugar; set aside. Thinly slice napa cabbage and green cabbage, place into another large mixing bowl. Julienne carrots and add to cabbage, set aside. Combine cabbage with dressing and toss in black sesame seeds, wasabi peas and Tropical Food's Mexicali Fire®. Crust each tuna filet with course ground black pepper. Grill or sauté for 2 minutes on each side until seared, but still raw inside. Slice and plate with Asian slaw.

EVERYTHING CRUSTED TUNA WITH ROASTED RED PEPPER SAUCE

Steps:

• To make the crust, mix together the minced garlic, onion, poppy seeds, sesame seeds and salt. Sprinkle some of this mixture on a plate. Dip the tuna steaks in the beaten egg white just enough to coat, then roll each steak in the crust mixture to coat it thoroughly, adding more of the mixture if necessary. To minimize the potential mess, coat the tuna steaks by holding them with a fork rather than your fingers. Put steaks on the same plate, atop the remaining mixture; set aside at room temperature. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. To make the sauce, warm the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat, and add the garlic and shallots. Cook, stirring, until they are soft but not colored, about 5 minutes. Add the peppers, chicken stock and wine, season with salt and white pepper, and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half, about 8 minutes. Carefully transfer the mixture to a blender, add the vinegar and with the machine running, pour in the grape-seed oil. Blend just to emulsify. Adjust the seasonings, adding water if sauce is too thick, and set aside in a warm place. Have a metal baking pan at the ready; you will need it quickly after frying the steaks. Pour the canola oil into a 12-inch sauté pan or a wok, and set over high heat; when the oil reaches 350 degrees, slip the tuna into the pan. Fry for 1-1/2 minutes on each side, until the crust is well browned. Lift out the steaks with a slotted spatula, and place in the baking pan. Transfer to the oven, and roast for 1 minute for rare, 2 minutes for medium-rare, 3 minutes for medium. Remove from the oven; spoon some sauce on each of four warmed dinner plates. Cut each steak in half on the diagonal, and place the two pieces in the center of the plates. Drizzle the steaks with additional sauce. Yield: Four servings.

BLACK PEPPER AND CORIANDER-CRUSTED TUNA WITH ORANGE AND FENNEL-ROASTED POTATO SALAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450°F.
• Cut the potatoes into wedges and drop them onto a cookie sheet. Coat the potatoes in 3 tablespoons of the EVOO. Season the spuds with the grill seasoning. Roast the potatoes, turning them once, for 25 minutes, until tender and brown at the edges and a bit crusty.
• In a large salad bowl, combine the fennel fronds, thinly sliced fennel, red onion, basil, and parsley. In a small bowl, combine the orange zest and juice with the Dijon mustard and a little salt and pepper. In a slow steady stream, whisk in 3 tablespoons of the EVOO. Pour the dressing over the fennel salad, toss to coat, and reserve.
• When the potatoes have about 10 more minutes to roast, start the tuna. In a shallow dish, combine the flour, coriander, and coarsely ground black pepper and a little salt. Pat the tuna steaks dry and then coat them in the flour mixture, pressing it in lightly. Preheat a large nonstick skillet over high heat with the remaining 2 tablespoons of EVOO, twice around the pan. When the pan is very hot, add the steaks. Sear and brown the tuna steaks for 2 minutes, then turn, and immediately reduce the heat to medium. Loosely tent the pan with aluminum foil and cook the steaks 5 minutes for rare, 7 minutes for medium. The steaks should be firm but have a little give, and some pink should remain at the center.
• Remove the roasted potatoes from the oven and add them to the dressed fennel salad, tossing to combine. Taste them for seasoning and add a little salt and pepper if you want. Serve the tuna steaks alongside the orange and fennel-roasted potato salad.

SPICE CRUSTED TUNA WITH BASQUE PEPPER STEW

Steps:

• To prepare stew, heat a large skillet or dutch oven over high heat. Add onion, garlic and olive oil. Toss to coat evenly and turn heat down to medium. Cook for 5 -10 minutes to soften. Add the peppers and season with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Cook until the peppers begin to soften about 10 minutes. Pass the tomatoes through a food mill and add to the pan along with the paprika and red wine vinegar. Cook for 30 to 40 minutes until juices reduce and coat vegetables. Taste and adjust seasoning. Reserve while preparing tuna. Crush coriander, fennel and cumin seed in a mortar with pestle or spice grinder. Season both sides of tuna with spice mixture and salt and pepper. Heat a non-stick skillet over high heat. Add the olive oil to the pan and the tuna steaks. Sear on both side for 3-4 minutes for medium rare or cook to desired doneness. Serve on a bed of the pepper stew.

PEPPER-CRUSTED TUNA

Steps:

• 1. Coat tuna in pepper and cilantro 2. Put 1 Tbs. of peanut oil in heavy-based frying pan over high heat and lightly sear tuna for 20 second each side, then set aside. 1. In a wok, heat the other Tbs. of peanut oil and the sesame oil. Then fry to ginger and garlic until light golden in color. 2. Add soy sauce, Chinese cooking wine, sugar, and last the bok choy leaves. 3. When the leaves have wilted remove wok from heat. 4. Slice the pepper-crusted tuna into 4 slices, about 1/4 inch think. Place the bok choy onto 2 plates and place 2 slices of tuna on each. Garnish with cilantro leaves.

PEPPER CRUSTED TUNA STEAK

Steps:

• Mix the basil, thyme and the black pepper together. Season the tuna with the mixture. In a hot saute pan, add the olive oil and sear the tuna until cooked rare or to desired temperature. Remove the tuna. Then add the bok choy with the wasabi, fish stock and the soy sauce to the hot saute. Reduce the stock by a quarter. Remove from heat and ladle the soy wasabi broth into the bowls and place the cooked tuna on the top of top of the bok choy.