Coastal Culinary Connoisseur Patrick Evans-Hylton shares tips for selecting and storing fresh tuna, as well as a recipe for Seared Tuna Atop Peppery Greens with Virginia Goat Cheese, Bay Seasoned Petitas and Citrus Vinaigrette.
Running off the coastal waters of Virginia this time of year are tuna – large, fast, fleshy fish that can be enjoyed in scores of ways. During the summer months, we like a simply grilled piece of tuna atop peppery greens, accented with creamy and cooling local goat cheese, flavorful pepitas (pumpkin seeds) roasted to a golden brown, and drizzled with a crisp vinaigrette that pops with citrusy flavor.
Tuna offerings from a local farmers market courtesy of the author
There are many species of tuna, and several varieties that can be found in the Atlantic. We look for fish that is a sensible choice; ones that are abundant, well-managed and fished or farmed in environmentally sound ways, or at least ones that are better choices than those that are overfished or otherwise non-sustainable.
The Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center in Virginia Beach publishes a pocket guide outlining recommendations from their Sensible Seafood program; bigeye and yellowfin tuna are both on the “good alternatives” list.
Look for local tuna now at farm markets across Virginia Beach.
Here are some tips for selecting and storing tuna:
- Tuna should have a rich red color; sometimes there is a darker, more muscular area that has a stronger flavor, but this occurs naturally The flesh should be firm and dense.
- Tuna should not have dry or brown spots (other than the normal, darker, muscular areas); avoid tuna with a rainbow sheen
- Tuna should not have a strong or objectionable odor; the aroma should be clean
- Refrigerate tuna until use; consume or freeze fresh tuna within a day of purchase
- To store, pat tuna dry, wrap in foil or plastic wrap, and place in the back of the refrigerator
The tuna, simply seasoned and seared, is placed atop a plate of greens. Many farmers and fresh markets carry a number of peppery salad greens; for this recipe, consider arugula (also known as rocket lettuce), cress, dandelion greens, mustard greens and tat soi (spoon cabbage.) You can also add some fresh herbs to the mix; small basil leaves would work well. If you’d like to cut the peppery flavor down a bit, toss some of the greens with a field greens (mesclun) mix.
Liberally sprinkled on top are oven-roasted pepitas – pumpkin seeds – that have been tossed in Chesapeake Bay seasoning to give them that distinctive, regional flavor while adding crunch to the dish. Around the sides of the plate, evenly spaced, are four quenelles (small oval/football-shaped scoops) of Virginia goat cheese from Charlottesville’s Caromont Farm and the salad is lightly drizzled with a fresh, crisp citrus vinaigrette.
Our recipe serves four.
Seared Tuna Ingredients
1 20-ounce tuna steak, about one-inch thick
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon butter
3 tablespoons olive oil
Seared Tuna Method
Season both sides of the tuna with salt, black pepper and red pepper.
Melt the butter and oil in a grill pan over medium-high heat. Place the tuna in the skillet and cook to the level of doneness desired: about two minutes per side for rare and about three minutes per side for medium-rare. You can grill tuna longer, but be sure it does not overcook.
Remove tuna from pan, allow to sit briefly, and cut into quarter-inch slices.
Seasoned Pepitas Ingredients
1 cup pumpkin or squash seeds
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 teaspoon Chesapeake Bay seasoning mix
Seasoned Pepitas Method
Scoop seeds from pumpkin or squash and rinse off pulp and pat dry. In a bowl, combine seeds, oil and seasoning and toss to coat. Place on a baking sheet and bake at 350F for between 30 and 40 minutes, turning occasionally and watching to make sure seeds turn golden but do not burn.
Citrus Vinaigrette Ingredients
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Citrus Vinaigrette Method
In a large jar with a lid, combine all ingredients and shake well until incorporated. Refrigerate until use, shaking again just before serving.
Salad Ingredients
6 cups of greens
Prepared tuna
Prepared pepitas
Goat cheese
Prepared vinaigrette
Salad Method
Divide greens among four plates, top with sliced tuna, pepitas and drizzle of vinaigrette. Add goat cheese at plate side. Enjoy!
Patrick Evans-Hylton, a Johnson & Wales-trained chef, is a food authority on Chesapeake Bay regional cuisine and author of the upcoming book, “Dishing Up Virginia.” His work appears in print, television and radio. Read more of his adventures at food at www.PatrickEvansHylton.com.
