Marinated Filet Mignon of Tuna wth Eggplant Mashed Potatoes
These incredible tuna filets are thick and shaped like beef filet mignon. Seared on the outside, just warm on the inside, they are amazing. Chef Romano serves them with Eggplant Mashed Potatoes and grilled red onion rings. The flavor accents in this dish are Asian: ginger, teriyaki, sesame oil, tahini, soy sauce, mizuna, pickled ginger.
Ingredients
- Marinade
- Teriyaki sauce - 2 cups
- Dry Sherry - 1/2 cup
- Ginger - 4 tablespoons, minced fresh
- Scallion - 1/2 cup, chopped
- Garlic - 2 cloves, minced
- Cayenne Pepper - 1/2 teaspoon
- Freshly ground black pepper - 2 teaspoons
- Lemon Juice - Juice of 2 lemons
- Eggplant Mashed Potatoes
- Eggplant - 2 medium (about 2 pounds), peeled
- Olive Oil - 1/4 cup
- Salt - 1 teaspoon
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Mashed Potatoes - 2 cups, warm
- Sesame Oil - 1 tablespoon
- Garlic - 1 teaspoon, minced
- Ginger - 1 tablespoon, peeled and grated
- Tahini - 1 tablespoon
- Soy Sauce - 2 tablespoons (preferably tamari)
- Grilled Sweet Red Onions
- Red Onion - 2 pounds (about 4 medium)
- Olive Oil - 1/4 cup
- Kosher Salt - 1/2 teaspoon
- Freshly ground black pepper - 1/8 teaspoon
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil - 2 to 3 teaspoons, optional
- Parsley - 1 tablespoon, chopped (optional)
- Mizuna - 3 oz, cleaned and stemmed
- Olive Oil - 2 tablespoons
- Japanese Pickled Ginger - 1/4 cup - available in Asian markets
- Salt - 1/8 teaspoon
- Freshly ground black pepper - To taste
Instructions
To marinate the tuna: Combine all ingredients of the marinade in a non-aluminum bowl. Add the tuna steaks; make sure they are completely immersed in the marinade. Refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours.
To prepare the potatoes: Preheat the oven to 400 F. Lightly oil a cookie sheet. Cut the eggplant I half lengthwise, then slice each half lengthwise into thirds. Keep the slices together, retaining the original shape. Slice across the eggplant at 1/2-inch intervals. With a wide spatula, carefully lift the cut eggplant onto the prepared cookie sheet. Drizzle the eggplant evenly with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and season with the salt and pepper. Cover with foil and roast for 45 minutes, until tender and soft to the touch.
Puree the eggplant in a processor until smooth. In a medium saute pan or skillet over medium heat, heat the remaining olive oil and sesame oil. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until softened. Reduce the heat to low. Add the eggplant puree, tahini, and soy sauce and simmer for 10 minutes. With a wooden spoon, stir in the warm mashed potatoes and heat thoroughly. Adjust seasoning with freshly ground pepper. Keep warm.
To prepare the onions: Preheat the oven to 400 F. Peel the onions and slice 3/4-inch thick. Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper and spread the onion slices in rows. Keep the rings of each slice together; don’t crowd the slices. Evenly drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake 30 to 40 minutes, until the onions are softened and lightly browned. The recipe may be made ahead to this point, and the onions stored, well-covered, in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Heat a grill pan or grill until very hot. Gently place the onion slices on the grill, keeping the rings intact. Cook 3 to 5 minutes per side, giving the rings grill marks and a smoky flavor. Just before serving, drizzle the onion rings with extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle with chopped parsley.
To finish the tuna: One half hour before cooking, drain the tuna and bring to room temperature. Heat a grill, grill pan, or barbecue to very hot. Brush the tuna with olive oil. Grill the steaks for 1 to 2 minutes on each of their six sides. The outside of the tuna should be nicely charred, with grill marks, and the centers should be barely warm.
To serve: Make a bed of mizuna on each plate. Place a tuna steak on each and place pickled ginger on top of each steak. Mound eggplant mashed potatoes to one side, and place grilled red onions around the tuna.
