Coriander & Pepper Crusted Tuna

Ingredients

Tuna

375g fresh tuna steaks
½ tsp white peppercorns
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp coriander root, washed, scraped and chopped
3 cloves garlic
2 tsp shrimp paste, roasted
1 tbsp dark palm sugar
2 tbsp vegetable oil

Dressing

2 tsp palm sugar
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp vegetable oil

Salad

2 stalks lemongrass, finely sliced
3 golden shallots, finely sliced
½ punnet cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 cup Asian cress mix

Method

Tuna

Pound the peppercorns, salt, coriander root and garlic in a mortar and pestle to form a paste. Blend in the shrimp paste, palm sugar and then the vegetable oil. Coat the tuna in the paste and grill on the barbecue flat plate, searing both sides and cooking the tuna medium-rare – approx. 2 minutes each side.

Dressing

Mix together the palm sugar, soy, lime juice and vegetable oil in a mortar and pestle.

Serve

In a bowl, break up the tuna into small pieces and toss gently with the salad ingredients and the dressing.

Credits: Chef Katrina Ryan ‘Hot Plate: Asian-Inspired Barbecue’