Lemon Herb Ahi Tuna

Ahi tuna is one of my favorite types of seafood.  I just love a good, thick ahi tuna steak, seared to perfection.  We eat this quite a bit.  For whatever reason though, I tend to do something with an Asian theme more so than not when I cook ahi tuna.  I don’t know why I do this because there are so many wonderful tuna recipes available, but I’ve noticed this is a trend of mine.  This time, however, I did not cook my tuna with an Asian theme.  I went more Mediterranean instead, and opted for a lemon herb sauce for my tuna.  I’m glad I did.  It came out very, very good.  As you all should know by now, I love to cook and eat all kinds of foods, in many different and various ways.  I hate getting stuck in a rut, and love to walk on the wild side and be as creative as I can.  This sauce was super simple to make and only consisted of a few everyday items that are part of my normal pantry.

Lemon Herb Ahi Tuna

You can use any kind of herbs you like.  This time I used fresh thyme, basil and some lemon verbena from our ever-growing, endless supply in my backyard.  I meant to put in some oregano as well, but the store did not have any at the time, and as usual, I was pressed for time, so I did not get any.

1  Ahi tuna steak – any size

1 TBSP garlic

1/3 cup lemon juice

1/3 cup olive oil

1-2 tsp lemon pepper

2 tsp black pepper

1 TBSP each fresh herbs of your choice, chopped fine or chiffonade into thin strips

4 oz butter

 

Mix all the ingredients together and pour about 1/2 of the sauce over the tuna as a marinade.  Let it marinate for at least 30 minutes before cooking, but no more than an hour, since them lemon juice will “cook” the fish.  Once the tuna is ready to cook, place it on a hot grill and cook for about 7 minutes per side.  If you like the middle cooked more, cook it for a little longer.  I love it nice and pink on the inside and just seared on the outside.

With the remainder of the sauce, cook it down in a hot skillet until most of the liquid has evaporated.  Once most of the lemon juice has evaporated, turn off the heat, add the butter, and swirl it around until it is completely incorporated into the sauce.

Once the tuna is cooked to perfection and the sauce is ready to go, serve it up and eat.  I served ours over wild rice with green beans topped with mushrooms, garlic, onions and tomatoes, some warmed bread with an olive oil dipping sauce, and a light, crispy citrus sauvignon blanc that had hints of lavender in it as well.  The wine is locally grown, from our grapes and vines out in Palisades, Colorado, which is on the Western Slope, about 4-4 1/2 hours away from us.  The Fruits of Palisade

The whole meal was a perfect meal for a late summer day, enjoyed out on our deck.  Delicious!