Back in New York City and while walking with Jeffrey down 9th Avenue I decided to pop into Chelsea Market to see if anything would inspire a meal.
My head was thinking turkey breast, but there was none to be found so I headed to The Lobster Place to get inspired by fresh seafood.
They had tuna belly that looked absolutely amazing. Tuna belly or toro is generally considered the king of sushi ingredients. Tuna belly is very oily and high in omega3. It is also amazingly delicious when eaten as sushi or lightly seared.
I decided to give it a little twist and serve it over arugula with a ragu of white beans, yellow tomatoes, sauteed shallots and Italian herbs. The end result was absolutely delicious and very easy to prepare.
- 1 lb. fatty tuna
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large shallot, sliced
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 can of canellini beans, rinsed
- 2 yellow tomatoes
- 1 tsp each of oregano, thyme and Italian parsley
- 1 tsp of cayenne pepper
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 Lemons
Begin by preparing the ragu. Place 2 tbsps of the olive oil into a saute pan on medium heat and add sliced shallots. Saute until translucent and then add garlic and beans. Continue to saute for a few more minutes and add tomatoes, herbs and cayenne pepper. Add the juice from 1 lemon. Cover and let cook for 15 minutes on low heat. Taste, season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.
To prepare tuna belly heat up 1 tbsp of olive oil in a saute pan. Sear on each side for about 2 minutes. Remove from pan immediately and set aside.
Serve by placing a handful of arugula onto a plate. Top with bean ragu and then a piece of the fish. Squeeze a little bit of lemon juice over the top and serve with a tasty Sauvignon Blanc.
