Recipe

September 7, 2015

Seared Tuna in Bacon

Recipe: Jennifer Low

Seared tuna in bacon can be served as a platter of hors d’oeuvres or over white beans as a sit-down appetizer.

Ingredients

  • About 500 g tuna loin, sliced in 1-1/4” thick slabs*
  • 1 tsp ground cumin for sprinkling
  • Black pepper for sprinkling
  • 8 slices bacon, cut in half cross-wise
  • 1 bunch fresh basil
  • Olive oil for frying
  • Balsamic vinegar for drizzling**
  • 1-1/2 cups cooked white beans, tossed with
  • olive oil, chopped rosemary, salt and pepper (only if serving as sit-down appetizer portions)

Directions

Yield: Makes 16 Cubes

  1. Cut one or two 1-1/4” cubes from the tuna to test the sizing, so that bacon will brown on the outside while the tuna retains a rare centre. The slab of tuna should yield at least 16 1-1/4” cubes. Wrap a test cube in half a slice of bacon. Cook seam-side down in a drizzle of olive oil in frying pan on medium-high heat, turning to brown all four bacon-wrapped sides. Check that bacon is browned and tuna is still rare before continuing.
  2. To prepare full batch of hors d’oeuvres, begin by sprinkling tuna with cumin and pepper. Wrap each cube with 1 or 2 basil leaves. Roll each in half slice bacon (two sides of the cubes will remain unwrapped). Set aside — seams down to hold in place — while wrapping the rest of the batch. These can be made a day ahead to cook the following day. Keep covered and chilled.
  3. To cook, follow cooking method described in step 1.
  4. For platter of hors d’oeuvres, serve on wooden picks and drizzle with regular or reduced balsamic vinegar. For sit-down appetizers for 4 to 6, serve 2 or 3 cubes over a couple spoonfuls of cooked white beans tossed with olive oil, chopped rosemary, salt and pepper.
Photographer:

Andrew Grinton

Source:

House & Home April 2008