Zaatar Crusted Tuna With Cured Tomatoes And Merguez Vinaigrette Food

ZA'ATAR-CRUSTED TUNA WITH CURED TOMATOES AND MERGUEZ VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 200 degrees F.
• In a mixing bowl, toss the whole tomatoes with 1/4 cup olive oil, paprika, salt, garlic, 2 Tb shallots, thyme and basil. Spread on a sheet pan and place in oven for 4 hours.
• When tomatoes are close to being ready, in a saute pan over medium-high heat, saute sausage until nicely browned (it will crumble as you cook), about 10 minutes.
• Remove sausage and set aside.
• Drain all but 2 Tb of fat from pan, return pan to medium heat, and add sherry vinegar to deglaze, scraping up browned bits, about 1 minute.
• Add 1 Tb olive oil, 1 Tb shallots, capers, and tomato sauce; mix to incorporate, then remove from heat.
• Season with salt, pepper, and chives, and return sausage to pan.
• Meanwhile, heat a cast iron pan over high heat with canola oil until smoking.
• Season tuna with salt and pepper, then roll in za'atar on all sides, until well covered.
• Sear tuna, 1 minute on each side, for rare.
• Evenly divide tomatoes and tuna among plates and cover with sauce; serve immediately.

CITRUS GINGER CRUSTED TUNA LOIN SERVED WITH FUFU, CHAYOTE SLAW, AND SMOKED TOMATO VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Season the tuna with salt and pepper.
• Coat the tuna with the mustard using a pastry brush.
• You will need three bowls. In one bowl, mix the ginger and zests into the cornmeal. Put flour in a second bowl. Put eggs in a third bowl.
• Dredge the tuna first in the flour then in the eggs and finally in the corn meal. Let dry for about 2 to 3 minutes.
• Heat a saute pan, and add oil. Put the tuna in the pan and brown on all sides, about 1 to 2 minutes per side.
• Slice tuna and assemble with Fufu, Chayote Slaw, and Smoked Tomato Vinaigrette. Garnish with fried plantains and grilled shrimp if desired.
• Fry the bacon in a hot skillet together with onions until bacon is crisp and onions caramelize. Remove from the heat. Bring a saucepan of water to boil. Add plantains, reduce heat, and simmer until soft, about 15 to 18 minutes. Drain and transfer the plantains to a mixing bowl and mash. Add bacon and onions. Keep warm.
• Whisk the sour cream in a large mixing bowl until smooth, then add the vinegar, lime juice, and oil. Stir in all the remaining ingredients. Correct the seasonings by adding salt, pepper, or vinegar, to taste. Serve at room temperature.
• Place the tomatoes in a perforated pan over a smoker on high heat until wisps of smoke begin to appear. Tightly cover the smoker and reduce the heat to medium. Smoke the tomatoes until hot and soft, about 25 to 30 minutes. Place the smoked tomatoes, oil, and seasonings in a blender at high speed until smooth. Adjust seasonings.

CRISPY ZA'ATAR FISH WITH ISRAELI COUSCOUS, SWISS CHARD, AND FETA

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, cook couscous according to package directions, seasoning it with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Once cooked, drain the couscous and transfer to a medium bowl.
• While the couscous is cooking, drizzle 1 tablespoon oil over both sides of fish fillets and season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Rub each side of each fillet with 1 teaspoon za'atar.
• Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, and add 1 tablespoon oil. Once the oil is hot, add fish to skillet, skin-side down, and sear until skin is golden brown and crispy, 4 to 6 minutes. Flip fish and cook until fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork, 1 to 2 minutes more. Transfer fish to a rimmed baking sheet or plate.
• Add chard stems and wine to pan; cook for 30 seconds. Stir in chard leaves, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper to skillet. Cover and cook until chard leaves are wilted, 2 to 3 minutes more.
• Add chard mixture to bowl with couscous. Fold in pomegranate seeds, olives, feta, and remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil. Squeeze lemon half over the mixture and toss to combine; taste and adjust seasoning.
• Divide couscous mixture among four plates and top with fish fillets, skin-side up.

ZA'ATAR

Steps:

• Stir together all ingredients in a small bowl.
• Available at Middle Eastern markets and by mail order from Kalustyan's (212-685-3451).

MERGUEZ

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients except casings and olive oil in a mixing bowl and mix well with your hands.Fry a small amount as a test and adjust seasonings to taste. It should be somewhat hot and the cinnamon should be balanced by the herbs.
• Using the sausage stuffing attachment of a stand mixer, stuff the casings with the mixture and twist and tie to make 4-inch links. Alternatively, shape into 3-inch lozenges, slightly fatter in the middle, formed around metal skewers, or simply into small patties.
• Heat the grill or broiler. If the sausages are in casings, prick them with a fork 2 to 3 times and brush with oil. Grill or broil them 3-4 minutes each side until cooked through. For lozenges or patties, brush with a little oil and grill about 3 minutes each side, or saute the patties in a little oil over high heat.

PAN SEARED TUNA WITH CITRUS-HERB VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Stir together 1/2 cup olive oil, 1 tablespoon parsley, and red pepper flakes. Toss tuna with marinade, and set aside to marinate for 30 minutes.
• Pour vinegar, orange juice, lemon juice, lime juice, and soy sauce into the bowl of a blender. Add shallot, 1 tablespoon parsley, thyme, dill, honey, Dijon mustard, jalapeno, and ginger. Blend on high until smooth, then add 3/4 cups olive oil in a slow, steady stream with the blender running. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and set aside.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Fill another large container with half ice, half cold water, and set aside. Add the haricots verts to the boiling water, and cook until just tender, 35 to 40 seconds. Remove from the water, and immediately plunge into the ice water to cool. Next, blanch the carrots until just tender, about 1 1/2 minutes; chill in ice water until cold.
• When the vegetables are cold, remove from the ice water and pat dry. Place into a large bowl, and toss with the halved tomatoes, olives, onion, and chervil; set aside.
• Heat a heavy-bottomed skillet over high heat until very hot. Remove tuna steaks from marinade, and wipe off excess marinade. Season the tuna to taste with salt and pepper, then sear in hot skillet to desired doneness, about 1 minute per side for rare.
• To assemble, toss the vegetable salad with enough dressing to lightly coat. Divide the salad among 4 plates, and place a seared tuna steak on top of each. Drizzle with additional dressing to serve.