Tuna Grilled with Asparagus and a Marinated Vegetable Vinaigrette

By pattie_d

Ingredients

• Marinated Vegetable Vinaigrette:
• • 2 tablespoons hazelnut oil, or virgin olive oil
• • 2 teaspoons Spanish Sherry vinegar, or Red Wine vinegar
• • 2 tablespoons red Onion, finely diced
• • 2 tablespoons celery, finely diced
• • 2 tablespoons carrot, finely diced
• • 2 tablespoons yellow zucchini diced
• • 2 tablespoons cucumber diced
• • 2 tablespoons red bell pepper, seeded and finely diced
• • 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, minced
• • Salt & pepper, to taste
• French Dressing:
• • 1 tablespoon Spanish Sherry Vinegar, or Red Wine Vinegar
• • 1/2 teaspoon Dijon-Style Mustard
• • Salt & pepper, to taste
• • 3 tablespoons virgin olive oil
• • 2 teaspoons shallot, minced
• • 1 clove garlic, minced
• Tuna:
• • 4 thick tuna steaks (about 5 oz each)
• • 20 asparagus tips, about 3-1/2 inches long
• • 3 cup loosely packed mixed baby lettuce (about 3 oz)
• • 4 pinch fresh chervil, minced
• • 1 head endive
• • 1 ripe tomato, blanched, peel, seeded, cubed
• • 8 thin slices French baguette bread, toasted
• • Salt & pepper, to taste
• • Edible flowers, for garnish

Details

Servings 4

Preparation

Step 1

To prepare the vegetable vinaigrette, whisk the hazelnut oil and vinegar together in a mixing bowl.

Add all the remaining vinaigrette ingredients and gently mix together. Set aside at room temperature
until ready to serve.

To prepare the French dressing whisk together the vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper, in a mixing bowl.

Whisk in the olive oil, shallot and garlic, until emulsified. Set aside (the dressing can be prepared
ahead of time, but don’t let it stand for longer than 1 hour because the garlic will become too strong).

Prepare the grill. Place the tuna steaks on a plate and brush lightly with 1 tablespoon of the French
dressing coating evenly on both sides. Marinate in the refrigerator for about 10 –15 minutes.

Meanwhile bring a saucepan of salted water to a boil and blanch the asparagus for 4 to 5 minutes, or
until just tender. Immediately transfer to an ice bath. When cool, drain and transfer to a mixing
bowl, dress with 1 tablespoon of dressing and set aside.

Grill the tuna over a hot flame for about 1-1/2minutes per side for rare, and no longer than 2 to 3 minutes per side for medium-rare (overcooking the tuna will dry it out).

In a mixing bowl, gently toss the lettuce with the remaining French dressing. Make a bed of lettuce on
each serving plate. Arrange the dressed asparagus tips over the lettuce in a fan shape, opening
toward the upper edge of the plate.

Place the tuna on top of the lettuce and over the stems of the asparagus. Garnish with the chervil. Fan the endive leaves next to the tuna. On the other side of the tuna, spoon some of the vegetable vinaigrette. Place the tomato next to the vinaigrette, and the toasted bread next to the tomato. Lightly season with salt and pepper, garnish with the edible flowers, and serve immediately.