French: Seared Tuna Provençal

Recipe by Paul Young <info@cooking-with-paul.com>

(serves 2)

Ingredients:

• ½ cup olive oil
• 4 slender carrots (peeled and sliced)
• ½ sweet onion (sliced)
• 2 small fennel bulbs, or 1 large bulb (sliced)
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 4 cloves garlic (peeled and sliced)
• 3 ounces baby spinach or Swiss chard (chopped)
• 1 cup white wine
• salt and pepper to taste
• Lemon juice
• 2 tuna steaks (about 4 oz each)
• Lemon slices for garnish (optional)
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme for garnish (optional)

Procedure:

1. Heat half of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat
2. Cook the carrots, onion, fennel, thyme, and garlic over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent (about 10 minutes)
3. Add the spinach to the skillet, deglaze with wine; cook, stirring occasionally until most of the liquid evaporated (about another 5 minutes)
4. Season with salt and pepper, then add a squeeze of lemon juice
5. Divide veggies and transfer to heated serving plates
6. In another skillet, heat the remaining olive oil over high heat
7. Season tuna with salt and pepper
8. Cook the tuna quickly over high heat, about 2 minutes per side, until nicely browned on the top and bottom, but still cold and red in the center
9. Transfer cooked tuna to serving plates and carefully place on top of vegetables
10. Add another squeeze of lemon juice, then garnish with lemon slices and fresh thyme (if desired)