Seared Tuna and Samphire

Having spied the most delicious looking tuna over the weekend, and also noticing that samphire was also available, I couldn't help but scoop up both items. Alongside of smoked salmon, seared tuna has to be one of my favourite forms of fish (sushi comes in a close third).

Samphire is a relatively new discovery for me, which I stumbled across in my search for one of my favourite italian vegetables, broccoletti (or rapini), which is a form of broccoli. Samphire bears some resemblance to broccoletti, however, the taste is very different.

Make sure the tuna is extremely fresh when you make this, and ideally sushi-grade. It should be as red as possible and definitely shouldn't smell. This is a perfect weekday treat as it is on the table in under 5 minutes.

Ingredients (serves 2):

200g tuna steak

75g samphire

1/2 tbsp olive oil

juice of 1/2 a lime

salt and pepper

Method:

Brush a little oil onto a griddle then heat until it starts to smoke. While the griddle is heating, steam the samphire for 3 minutes then toss in a little olive oil, salt and pepper. Go easy on the salt - samphire itself is quite salty.

Once the griddle is hot, sear the tuna on both sides for about 30 seconds a side, then remove from the heat and slice into 1cm strips. 

Place the samphire on a plate and then arrange the seared tuna on top of it. Squeeze the lime juice over the tuna and samphire and serve immediately.

Sesame Marinated Broccoli and Chilli Salad

I rarely get to cook with broccoli as R is none too keen on the stuff - a shame as it's one of my favourite vegetables. However, a very good friend of mine (she of garlic soup fame) made this for me last week, and I loved it so much that I asked her for the recipe and then in turn made it for another friend at the weekend.

It is incredibly simple to make, and nearly no cooking is involved as the broccoli is "cured" as opposed to being cooked in any way. And it is one of those dishes which tastes even better on the second day!

Ingredients (serves 4 as a side salad):

1 head of broccoli

1 large red chilli

4 cloves garlic

1 tsp ground cumin

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp rice vinegar

1 tbsp sesame oil

1 tsp Maldon salt

Method:

Chop the broccoli into individual florets, then toss with the salt and vinegar and set aside. Deseed and slice the chilli, then, in a frying pan, heat the olive oil until hot but not smoking and add the chilli and cumin. Fry for 30 seconds then crush in the garlic and cook for a further minute. Stir in the sesame oil then pour over the broccoli and toss thoroughly.

Let marinade for an hour at room temperature, then transfer to the fridge. If you can wait long enough, leave it overnight as it tastes so much better the next day! Taste for seasoning before you serve as it may need a little more salt.