Grilled Yellowfin Tuna with Ratatouille, Risotto, Grilled Shallots, and Red Wine–Morel Sauce
Sushi-grade tuna is perfect for flash-grilling and serving with the inside very rare and the outside seared. For this dish, the tuna is served with ratatouille, a wonderfully flavorful blend of squash, eggplant, onions, tomatoes, and herbs, and with risotto. Each of the accompaniments — the ratatouille, the risotto, the morel sauce — would work well with other fish or meats.
Ingredients
- Tuna
- Sashimi Grade Yellowfin Tuna - four (about 7 ounces)
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
- Red Wine - 1 cup
- Shallots - 12 whole, peeled
- Olive Oil - 1 tablespoon
- Ratatouille
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil - 2 tablespoons
- Onions - 2 tablespoons 1⁄4-inch diced
- Yellow Squash - 1⁄2 cup, 1⁄4-inch diced
- Zucchini - 1⁄2 cup, 1⁄4-inch diced
- Eggplant - 1⁄2 cup, 1⁄4-inch diced
- Roasted Garlic Puree - 1 tablespoon (see Basics)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh Rosemary - 1 teaspoon, chopped
- Fresh Thyme - 1 teaspoon, chopped
- Roma Tomatoes - 1⁄2 cup peeled, seeded, and 1⁄4-inch diced
- Risotto
- Chicken Stock - 1 quart
- Olive Oil - 2 tablespoons
- Onion - 2 tablespoons, finely chopped
- Arborio Rice - 2 cups
- Dry white wine - 1⁄2 cup
- Tomato paste - 1 tablespoon
- Red Wine-Morel Sauce
- Butter - 3 tablespoons
- Shallot - 1 small, finely chopped
- Fresh morels - 16 (or dried morels soaked in boiling water 15 minutes)
- Dry Red Wine - 1 cup, good quality
- Fresh Thyme Leaves - 1⁄2 teaspoon
- Veal Stock - 1 cup (see Basics)
Instructions
To prepare the tuna: Season the tuna with salt and pepper and marinate in the red wine. While the tuna is marinating, prepare the ratatouille.
To make the ratatouille: In a large saute pan or skillet heat the oil over high heat and saute the onion 2 minutes. Add the squash, zucchini, eggplant, garlic, salt, pepper, and herbs, and saute for 5 minutes or until the vegetables are just tender. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and let cool. Add the diced tomato.
To make the risotto: In a deep saucepan bring the stock to a slow, steady simmer. In a medium skillet heat the oil over medium heat and sauté the onion until translucent. Add the rice and stir until it is well coated. Add the wine and saute 2 minutes or until the wine has evaporated. Add 1⁄2 cup of the simmering broth. Stir while cooking until the rice absorbs the liquid. When the rice dries out, add another 1⁄2 cup of simmering broth and continue to stir, cook, and wait for the rice to dry out before adding another ladleful of the simmering stock. Continue cooking the rice in this fashion, reducing the additions of stock to 1⁄4 cup at a time after about 15 minutes of cooking to insure that you do not flood the rice with the liquid. The rice is done when it is tender but firm to the bite. When the rice reaches the proper consistency, taste for seasoning. Turn off the heat and mix in the tomato paste and the ratatouille.
To make the red wine-morel sauce: In a medium saucepan melt the butter over medium heat, add the chopped shallots, and cook 1 minute until softened. If using dried morels, remove them from their soaking liquid with a slotted spoon. Add the morels to the pan and cook until soft. Add the red wine, bring to a boil, and cook until reduced to 1⁄4 cup. Add the veal stock and reduce again until the sauce is thickened and can coat the back of a spoon. Pour through a fine mesh strainer into a clean saucepan. Reserve the morels in a separate container. When ready to serve, reheat the sauce over low heat.
To cook the tuna and assemble the dish: Prepare a charcoal grill or heat a large nonstick sauté pan or skillet over high heat. Season the shallots with salt and pepper, and brush with some of the olive oil. Grill the shallots until soft, or roast in a preheated 400 F oven about 17 minutes.
Brush the tuna fillets with the remaining olive oil. Sear the tuna on a very hot grill or in the prepared skillet about 2 minutes on each side.
To serve: In the center of each serving plate mound the risotto. Slice each tuna fillet in half on the diagonal, and arrange the halves on top of the risotto. Pour the sauce around the tuna and rice, and arrange the shallots and reserved morels around the edge of the plate.
