Seared Tuna with Tomatoes & Capers

This seared tuna recipe is seasonal, savory & sophisticated.

Many people are scared to make tuna at home but shouldn’t be. Tuna is deceivingly simple to make, and only takes minutes to produce a stunning meal. The hardest part is buying the ingredients.

Seared tuna steaks are easily cooked on a grill or very hot pan. In this recipe, tuna steaks are seared and then topped with a seasonal summer salad of tomatoes, basil, capers and scallions. It’s light, savory and a total show stopper.

Eating with the season

This recipe is made with ingredients that are in season at the same time that the tuna are running here in the northeast. When you cook with ingredients that are in season at the same time, the result is always a harmonious dish and this recipe is no exception. The crisp, acidic tomatoes and sweet basil are combined with briny capers and bring the tuna’s beautiful flavor to life.

How to Buy Tuna

Sourcing high quality, fresh tuna can be a challenge, especially for those who don’t live near the coast. It is readily available in the northeast in the summer months, which means I only get to cook it a few weeks out of the year. However, in the southern costal states, tuna is often accessible year round.

Look for seafood that is properly iced and refrigerated.  It should have a firm texture and rich, red color. Ask how old it is before buying. It should be less than 3 days. Don’t buy tuna that is dull, matte or greyish-brown.

Types of Tuna

Big Eye Tuna is the best of the best. It’s very hard to come by, but if you get the opportunity to source it, don’t think twice. Next up, Yellowfin & Ahi, which are similar to one another and more readily available than Big Eye. All will melt in your mouth when cooked properly, which means a seared crust on the outside, and raw center.

Buyer Beware

Most tuna we see at the grocery stores, and even at sushi restaurants, is not very high grade, and more often than not, totally void of flavor. In fact, I rarely order tuna out unless I am at a very high-end sushi restaurant, which is not too often!

Beware that most supermarket seafood in general is very low quality and often farmed. Farmed seafood is full of antibiotics, bathed in chemicals before frozen, and the industry is ripe with questionable practices that are causing significantly damage to the ocean environment and ecosystem. Buyers should beware of the term “sustainable” because it’s a fluff word that is used to lure the consumer in and fool them into thinking they are buying something that is helping the ocean world, but in more cases than not, it refers to fish farms and they are doing significant damage to the waters, the fish stocks, and our bodies.

How to cook tuna steaks

Seared tuna steaks need hot, quick heat to scorch the exterior of the tuna while retaining a rare center once sliced into. This can be done on a very hot grill or in a heavy duty pan, such as cast iron.

I look for, or request, 1.5″ – 2″ center cuts of tuna. To achieve. Rare center, If it’s 1.5″ thick, I will sear for 1 min per side. If it’s 2″ thick, I cook it for 1.5 – 2 minutes per side. You need to use a little judgement and adjust based on your desired temp.

Planet Tuna

If you want to learn more about tuna, there is a cool website called “Planet Tuna” that is dedicated to the “world of tuna” which is rather fascinating. Sadly, tuna is very over fished, especially in Asia. We need to do our part to fish it responsibly and support local fisherman whenever possible.

Seared Tuna with Tomatoes & Capers

Tuna steaks are grilled or pan seared then topped with with delicious tomatoes, capers and fresh basil for an easy, but impressive dish!

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cuisine Mediterranean, Seafood

Servings 2 people

Ingredients

  

• 1 lb high quality Tuna steak (recommended 1.5" thick)
• 1 cup diced plum tomatoes (sliced longways, seeds and core removed, 1/4" dice)
• 2 tbs thinly sliced scallions
• 1.5 – 2 tbs capers- rinsed and patted dry.
• 3/4 tsp minced garlic
• 3/4 tsp kosher salt, or to taste (plus extra for seasoning steaks)
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper, or to taste (plus extra for seasoning steaks)
• 1 tbs champagne vinegar
• 3 tbs evtra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup basil

Instructions

 

• Preheat your grill as hot as it goes. Mine is 600 degrees F and it works great. Make sure your grates are clean.
• Prep and portion the ingredients, except for the basil.
  
• Combine the tomatoes, garlic, scallion, capers, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 3 tablespoons EVOO & 1 tablespoon champagne vinegar. Mix gently and set aside. (Do not mix in the basil. Keep the basil set aside.)
  
• Drizzle tuna steak with olive oil
  
• Season the steaks with salt & fresh ground pepper
  
• Rub the sides and add more seasoning if necessary to ensure all sides are coated
  
• When the steak is well seasoned, place it on the hot grill for 1 minute for rare tuna steaks.
  
• Armed with tongs and a good spatula so you are prepared, flip the tuna and cook for 1 minute more.
  
• Remove from grill and let the tuna rest for a minute or two while you finish the salad.
  
• Julienne the basil and and mix it into the tomato & caper mixture.
  
• Slice the tuna across the grain.
  
• Plate the tuna slices and top with the tomato & caper salad.