TUNA WITH WHITE BEANS AND SUN-DRIED TOMATO SAUCE

Tuna with White Beans and Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce image

Provided by Jeff Tunks

Yield Makes 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 10

1 cup dried Great Northern beans (about 6 1/2 ounces)
5 cups chicken stock or canned low-salt chicken broth
7 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped carrot
1/2 cup chopped celery
5 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme or 2 teaspoons dried
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
4 6- to 8-ounceahi tuna steaks (each about 3/4 to 1 inch thick)
Sun-dried Tomato Sauce

Steps:

Place beans in medium bowl. Add enough cold water to cover beans by 3 inches. Let stand overnight. Drain.
Combine beans and stock in large saucepan. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium; cover and simmer until beans are just tender, about 1 hour. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid.
Heat 3 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, carrot and celery and sauté until almost tender, about 5 minutes. Add thyme and lemon peel and stir 1 minute. Add beans, reserved 1/2 cup cooking liquid and 2 tablespoons oil and toss until heated through, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat. Cover to keep warm.
Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in another heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle tuna with salt and pepper. Add tuna to skillet and cook to desired doneness, about 3 minutes per side for medium.
Spoon beans onto center of each of 4 plates, dividing equally among plates. Top each with tuna steak. Spoon Sun-dried Tomato Sauce over tuna steaks and serve immediately.