| Tuna Rose with Hummus and Olives |
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If you like rare tuna, this is a real treat. It is not only delicious, but also makes a stunning presentation. The preparation time is only 5-10 minutes, but your guest will think you slaved for hours.
This recipe does not require much cooking, so its success completely relies on the quality of the ingredients. Make sure to use very fresh Grade A tuna. Use the best hummus you can find (Middle Eastern and Organic stores often have better hummus than regular supermarkets). The olives are pretty flexible as long as they are brine-cured - the kind you would serve with bread and cheese for appetizer. Niçoise, green, kalamata, or some combination of these olives work well with tuna. Since olives start becoming acidic after pitting, buy your olives with pits, and pit them shortly before serving. |
| Serves 4 as an appetizer |
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| Ingredients | Directions |
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1/2 cup brine-cured olives |
Remove the pits from olives. The easiest way to do this is by covering an olive with chef's knife and gently smashing it with the heel of your hand (just like a garlic clove). This will open the olives up and loosen the pits. Chop the olives and set aside. |
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8 oz hummus |
Divide hummus among 4 plates. |
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1 Lb tuna steak (1" thick) Salt and black pepper 1 Tbsp olive oil |
Cut tuna steak into 2 equal pieces and dry well on paper towels. Season generously with salt and pepper. Preheat a nonstick frying pan over high heat. When the pan is hot, add the oil. Place tuna steaks into the pan. Sear 1 minute on one side and 1 minute on the other. Remove to a plate. Tuna should be very rare and still cool inside. Slice each piece diagonally using a sharp knife into 1/4 inch thick slices. |
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1 Tbsp olive oil for drizzling |
Shaping the roses: Put a slice of tuna on a working surface. Put a few pieces of olives on one end, and roll it up towards the empty end. Put another slice of tuna on a working surface. Put a few pieces of olives on one end. Roll this slice of tuna around the first one so that the seam of the first slice is covered by the second slice of tuna. Continue adding more "petals" this way until the tuna rose is about 2 inches in diameter (it will take 4-5 slices of tuna). Place a rose on top of hummus and press it down gently. Repeat making 3 more roses placing them onto plates with hummus as they are finished. Drizzle tuna with olive oil, and serve.
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