Seared tuna on minted pea puree with crispy shallots. Photo / Babiche Martens
Seared tuna on minted pea puree with crispy shallots. Photo / Babiche Martens
KEY POINTS:
Sauteed mushrooms with thyme, ricotta and hazelnuts
20 hazelnuts
½ Tbs olive oil
½ Tbs butter
12 field mushrooms
4 sprigs of fresh thyme
4 Tbs ricotta
Juice of one lemon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Seared tuna on mint pea puree with lemon and crispy shallots
4 x 150g fillets oftuna
2 Tbs olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups frozen peas
1 cup vegetable stock
1 sprig of fresh mint, plus 2 Tbs leaves
2 tsp butter
2 Tbs olive oil, extra
3 shallots, peeled and finely sliced
Lemon wedges to serve
Marsala and cinnamon baked pears with cream
2 tsp butter, plus 2 tsp extra
4 Beurre Bosc pears
1 ½ cups Marsala
¼ cup water
3 cinnamon sticks
Cream to serve
0-5 mins Preheat oven to 180C. Grease the baking dish with 2 tsp of butter.
5-15 mins Halve the pears, scoop out the pips and lay in the baking dish. Pour over the Marsala and the water, then bury the cinnamon under the pears. Bake for 45 minutes, basting with the juices every 15 minutes.
15-25 mins Place the hazelnuts on an oven tray and roast for 10 minutes, let cool then cut in half.
25-35 mins Put the peas in a saucepan, add the stock and a mint sprig, season. Cover and bring to a boil. Let cook for 5 minutes while you heat the 2 Tbs of extra oil, add the shallots and fry until crispy. Drain on a paper towel. Turn the heat off the peas, uncover and leave for 3 minutes. Transfer to a food processor and process with the fresh mint and butter. Leave covered.
35-50 mins Heat two pans. Add the extra measure of olive oil to one and the butter and olive oil for the mushrooms to the other. When both pans are hot, add the tuna to one and the mushrooms to the other. Let the tuna sear for 2 minutes then turn over and repeat, cover and let rest. Add the thyme and lemon to the mushrooms, season and sauté for 3 minutes.
50-60 mins Warm the plates in the oven. Whip some cream and pop it in the fridge. Serve the mushrooms with a dollop of ricotta, a squeeze of lemon, some fresh thyme and salt and pepper.
Serve the tuna on a generous spoonful of pea puree, top with the fried crispy shallots, fresh mint leaves and a lemon wedge.
Serve the pears with a little of the sauce spooned over and a spoonful of cream.
