Serves 4

TUNA

2- tablespoons fennel seeds

2- tablespoons coriander seeds

½- teaspoon white peppercorns

2- 12 ounce pieces tuna, about 1½ inches thick

Kosher or sea salt

2- teaspoons vegetable oil

Combine fennel seeds, coriander seeds, and peppercorns in a spice grinder and grind to almost powder consistency. Pour onto a plate. Season tuna with salt and coat it with the spice mixture.

Keep refrigerated until ready to cook.

Heat a large cast iron or other heavy bottom skillet over medium-high heat. Spoon in the oil, add the tuna and cook about 1 minute on each side. You are just searing the tuna.

Transfer tuna to cutting board and let rest for a minute or two.

 

WILTED CABBAGE

2- teaspoons vegetable oil

2/3- pound savoy cabbage, shredded, more or less

4-scallions, cut into thin slices

2-teaspoons soy sauce

1- teaspoon water

Heat the vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet. When hot turn heat to high and add cabbage and scallions, stir-fry until cabbage starts to wilt, about 1 minute.

 

ORANGE SAUCE (make before you sear tuna and wilt cabbage)

2- navel oranges

1-tablespoon canola oil

1/3-cup thinly sliced fresh ginger

¼-cup thinly sliced shallots

1-tablespoon thinly sliced garlic

1-teaspoon soy sauce

1-tablespoon sherry vinegar

¼-cup chicken or fish stock

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

kosher or sea salt

Juice the oranges. Cut the rinds of 1½ oranges into pieces (discard the rest)

Heat saucepan over medium heat; add the oil and ginger, sauté for a minute, add shallots and garlic and sauté another 45 seconds until fragrant. Add orange juice, orange rinds, soy, and vinegar. Bring to a boil, then lower to heat so you have an active simmer, cook pressing down on the solids occasionally until thick and syrupy. Add chicken stock, bring back to boil, strain pressing down on solids to get out all the liquid. Put sauce back in sauce pan and reduce until you have about a half cup of sauce. Add lemon juice and salt to taste. Keep warm while preparing tuna and cabbage.

To plate put mound of cabbage in center of each of 4 plates, slice the tuna and lay pieces against the cabbage, drizzle orange sauce around cabbage and over tuna.

Adapted from The Cook’s Essential Companion: Fish Without A Doubt, Rick Moonen & Roy Finamore