Leaving Well Enough Alone
I have a tendency to tinker. Adjust. Add. Change. Substitute. Delete. I can’t help myself; I blame my wandering tastebuds. They know what they want.
Today’s recipe is one of the rare ones that I cannot imagine changing. It was perfect every time I made it. I never once found myself saying, “But it just needs a little…”
Most recently, we made this together with our friends Susan and Towny on zoom, as we were both tasting the newly-released 2022 Château Barbebelle Cuvée Madeleine Rosé. Check out the Provence WineZine for more details.
Spring is already here in the Sonoran Desert, and I know it will come soon to the rest of the Northern Hemisphere. This dish from Food & Wine is a wonderful way to celebrate the season.
~ David
Poached Tuna with Kumquats and Jalapeño
To print this recipe, please click the small printer icon below.
Ingredients
- 2 sushi grade tuna steaks, about 6 ounces each
- kosher salt
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1 small jalapeño—stemmed, seeded and minced
- 4 kumquats, thinly sliced *
- 1/4 cup mint leaves, torn
Instructions
- Season the tuna steaks with salt. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter in the olive oil and lime juice. Stir in the minced jalapeño and sliced kumquats. Add the tuna steaks and cook them over medium heat, turning once, until they’re rare, about 4 minutes.
- Transfer the tuna steaks to a carving board and slice them 1/3 inch thick, then arrange them on plates. Stir the torn mint into the sauce, then spoon the sauce over the tuna and serve.
- Serves 2.
- * If kumquats are not available, thin slices of clementines (1 or 2) work beautifully.
© 2024 Copyright Cocoa & Lavender
Mad Dog
April 1, 2023 at 7:00 amThat looks beautiful and I bet the wines was excellent!
Cocoa & Lavender
April 5, 2023 at 6:33 amIt was absolutely perfect with the rosé, Mad Dog!
Jill W Becker
April 1, 2023 at 1:05 pmI just found set for six bone handled fish forks and knives. Guess I should use them. xoxo
Cocoa & Lavender
April 5, 2023 at 6:32 amDefinitely a sign from the universe!
Frank | Memorie di Angelina
April 1, 2023 at 1:57 pmSounds delicious and looks gorgeous! And I see you like your tuna the same way I do.
Cocoa & Lavender
April 5, 2023 at 6:32 amQuality of the tuna was amazing! I went to the sushi bar, our local store and got sushi grade tuna. But it works just as well with the tuna from the fish counter!
Eha
April 1, 2023 at 3:58 pmWhat a beautiful, simple, elegant dish if one can access the ingredients! The jalapeno may not be the stranger it once was but tho’ I know I have tasted cumquats the supermarkets offer me anything but! Well, > bitter oranges and sweet baby mandarines . . . and tinned stuff from Lord knows where . . . homework needed 🙂 ! Love your use of mint . . . and the look of that produce photo . . . !
Cocoa & Lavender
April 5, 2023 at 6:32 amI did test this recently with Mandarin oranges (clementines), and it worked beautifully beautifully! Glad you like the photos!
Mimi Rippee
April 1, 2023 at 4:21 pmOh my god. Such simple, beautiful ingredients to make that tuna shine. And it’s so pretty!
Cocoa & Lavender
April 5, 2023 at 6:31 amThat’s what’s so amazing, Mimi… So few ingredients and such a spectacular result!
Jeff the Chef
April 3, 2023 at 9:21 pmThis sounds so delicious, and it’s gorgeous, too!
Cocoa & Lavender
April 5, 2023 at 6:31 amThanks, Jeff!
sherry
April 4, 2023 at 9:20 pmthis looks absolutely delish David. I love tuna cooked like this. And it looks pretty too. Cumquats and jalapenos are winners too. Happy Easter.
Cocoa & Lavender
April 5, 2023 at 6:30 amThe kumquats add a really nice texture and flavor to the dish, Sherry!
Gerlinde de Broekert
April 10, 2023 at 7:35 pmI am having trouble commenting. I think I have my website with Square . Anyway, I love all the ingredients in this dish and hope to make it while I still get some Kumquats.
Raymund
April 11, 2023 at 8:09 pmIt’s always fun to experiment with new flavors, but it’s also great when you find a recipe that is perfect as is. The dish sounds delicious and perfect for spring, especially when paired with a lovely rosé.
Cocoa & Lavender
April 15, 2023 at 3:13 pmI agree on both counts! I imagine you’re coming right into your citrus season soon, so this is perfect for you.
Valentina
April 12, 2023 at 1:40 pmNo tinkering needed! I will be trying this one for sure. Not only delicious, but healthy and beautiful too. 🙂 ~Valentina
Cocoa & Lavender
April 15, 2023 at 3:11 pmI think we are similar in that when we find a recipe, that is simple, beautiful, and tastes good, it’s soon becomes one of our favorites! I know you will love this, Valentina!
2pots2cook
April 14, 2023 at 4:07 amWe love tuna. Prepared this way, must be heavenly tasty!
Cocoa & Lavender
April 15, 2023 at 3:07 pmThe simplicity of this dish is its charm! It’s become one of our absolute favorites.
Marcelle
June 20, 2023 at 8:32 amDavid, I grew up in a house where our next door neighbor had a thriving kumquat tree and used to pass some on to us. As a fussy child, I never tried them lol. I need to right that wrong! This dish looks light and absolutely delicious. I think I will try this for myself this week. Thank you for this recipe, the tuna looks seriously yummy! Pinning this, it needs to be shared!!
Cocoa & Lavender
June 23, 2023 at 1:44 pmI have come to love kumquats – did you know there are both sweet and tart kumquats? They both work for this recipe. Thank you for pinning it [- it is a beautiful and such a simple dish to make.