So two Fridays ago I embarked on a new creative challenge called #FoodieFunFridays. Basically it’s a challenge where I ask you to suggest 3 individual food items for me to create into 1 dish. It can be random or common, and the idea is for me to put my own creative spin on it. And well, the first winner is noted by Shermaine Wong with her challenge of Tuna, Egg and Brussel Sprouts.
The first thought that came into my mind with the 3 ingredients was a tuna nicoise salad but of course, that is too boring! So I did a play on a lettuce salad, using the brussel sprouts as my leafy greens.
Personally, I absolutely love brussel sprouts but I know for most people, they find it bitter and bland. But that doesn’t have to be the case! Brussel sprouts have an amazing texture and crunch to them, and when seasoned and cooked perfectly – they are an amazing compliment to a dish.
In this recipe, I needed to create something out of the egg and instead of just a simple poached or boiled element, I wanted to be creative. I was very tempted to go the easy route but instead, I decided to try make homemade mayonnaise out of my egg! I learnt it from Jamie Oliver’s Youtube tutorial here.
And for a bit extra flavour, I added horseradish for that acidic bite as well as created a caper vinaigrette for an added dimension of flavour. Always think about flavours that can complement specific elements of your idea and how it ties in to the overall dish – a thought process I like to incorporate into the ideation of all my recipes.
It’s funny, the first thing that people think of when you say tuna is the type you get in a can. Even when I told my workmate that I was heading to the market to get tuna, she looked at me blankly at said, “you can get that at the supermarket”. But fresh tuna is such a beautiful delicate protein that most people tend to overlook. Before I put this dish together, I watched a few youtube tutorials on how to cook seared tuna and it’s literally the easiest thing ever.
- To cook seared tuna, smear your tuna fillet with olive oil and season with lots of salt and pepper. Then make sure you heat your skillet to extremely hot, to the point where smoke is just starting to appear on the pan. The time you need to sear your tuna is based on your own judgement just by looking at it!
- 1 piece fresh tuna (the size depends on your appetite!)
- 5 brussels sprouts
- ½ cup Olive oil
- Watercress microherbs (to dress)
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- MAYONNAISE
- 2 free-range egg yolks
- 1 heaped teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 500 ml olive oil
- 1-2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- ½ lemon
- sea salt
- 1 tsp horseradish creme
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- VINAIGRETTE
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp capers
- sea salt
- First, wash and cut your brussel sprouts into halves. Pour a few tbsp of olive oil into a mixing bowl with the brussel sprouts and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper.
- Heat skillet until really hot. Place on the brussel sprouts, flat faced down, onto the hot skillet and grill for 2 mins. Reduce to medium heat and grill for another 10 minutes or until soft.
- Prepare your mayonnaise and vinaigrette whilst the brussel sprouts are cooking. Whisk the egg yolks in a bowl, then add the mustard and whisk together. Gradually add about half the oil, very slowly at first, whisking continuously for around 3 to 5 minutes, or until thickened.
- Once you've added about half the oil, whisk in 1 tablespoon of vinegar – this will loosen the mixture slightly and give it a paler colour. Continue to gradually add the remaining oil, whisking continuously. Season with a pinch of salt, a squeeze of lemon juice and a little more vinegar, if needed. Add the horseradish creme at the end and mix well.
- For the vinaigrette, mix the olive oil and white wine vinegar in a mixing bowl. Add in the capers and then one heaped teaspoon of the mayonnaise for added flavour.
- Lastly, coat your piece of tuna with olive oil and season both sides with lots of salt and pepper. Don't worry about it being too salty as remember, you are only seasoning the outer layer only.
- Heat a skillet and once its really hot (to the point where smoke is appearing), place your tuna on the hot pan. Watch the tuna change colour and cook up to 5mm. Once cooked, turn it to the other side and cook again until it reaches 5mm. Remove from pan and rest for 2 minutes.
- Place your brussel sprouts over the outer edge of the plate. Cut the tuna into 5mm thick pieces (or as desired) and neatly arrange them on the plate.
- Spoon the mayonnaise on top of the tuna and brussel sprouts and then add the vinaigrette. Finish off with microherbs and serve.
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