12313 Yellowfin Tuna with Avocado and Piment D’Espelette Serves 2 to 4 Wed Aug 06 01:03:00 -0700 2008 Tue Feb 17 08:10:30 -0800 2009 Licensed http://www.chow.com/recipes/12313 Tue, 17 Feb 2009 16:10:30 GMT “I grew up with a little pepper in my food,” chef Laurent Manrique told me, describing his early life in a small village in the section of Gascony where duck, foie gras, and confit are best known. In fact, he lived close enough to the Basque country where the medium-hot paprika, piment d'Espelette reigns supreme.

Laurent gave me two recipes for the revised edition of this book: a beef short ribs version of his grandmother's recipe for duck legs (Braised Short Ribs in Cèpe-Prune Sauce, pages 261–263) and this brilliant starter. Thinly sliced, quickly seared tuna is served with meltingly soft slices of avocado and a peppery grapefruit vinaigrette.

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  • Dry the tuna with paper towels. Heat a nonstick skillet over high heat with a drop of the olive oil. When hot, sear the tuna for 1 minute on each side. With a wide spatula, transfer the tuna to a cutting board and let rest while preparing the vinaigrette.
  • Gently toss the grapefruit, lime juice, salt, piment d'Espelette, remaining oil, and toasted pine nuts without breaking the grapefruit chunks.
  • Quarter the avocado or, if desired, thinly slice. Tear basil into small pieces. Thinly slice the tuna. Arrange the avocado and tuna on 2 plates. Spoon the citrus vinaigrette with the chunks of grapefruit over the tuna, scatter basil on top, and serve at once.
  • Store the piment d'Espelette in the refrigerator.
  • Opal basil is intensely flavored and colored deep purple. It is available in Asian markets.
    • ]]>     http://www.chow.com Paula Wolfert 50 Main ½ pound sushi-grade yellowfin or ahi tuna, in one piece

    ]]>     2½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, preferably Spanish

    ]]>     37 1 ruby red grapefruit, peeled, sectioned and diced

    ]]>     44 Juice of ½ lime

    ]]>     301 1 pinch of sea salt

    ]]>     277 1 good pinch of ground piment d'Espelette or other moderately hot red pepper

    ]]>     1 teaspoon toasted pine nuts

    ]]>     96 1 ripe avocado, peeled

    ]]>     67 2 large opal basil leaves (see Note below)

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