The dish reminds me of being in Sicily. Fresh tuna simply grilled and served with sweet and sour eggplant works a treat and is so easy to make
½ cup fresh oregano leaves
¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt
Pepper
500g young eggplants chopped into ½ inch dice
½ teaspoon minced mint
2 tbs lemon juice
1 lemon zested
½ teaspoon chives
1 garlic clove crushed
600g tuna steaks (2 x 300g tuna steaks)
1. Chop the ½ cup of fresh oregano and add ½ cup of olive oil, lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
2. In a large frying pan, heat the remaining olive oil, add the eggplant and ½ teaspoon of salt. Cook over a medium heat stirring occasionally. Cook eggplant until tender, once cooked transfer to a bowl and add lemon juice, mint and chives and set aside.
3. Brush the tuna steak in infused olives oil, and then add some of the infused oil to the pan along with the garlic. Once hot sear tuna 2 min on each side then place on a board. Brush with extra-infused oil.
4. Slice the tuna and serve with roasted eggplant.
This dish is the perfect combination of Australian native ingredients and classic Italian tradition. I’ve marinated the tomatoes in Warndu’s delicious wattleseed balsamic vinegar and native thyme oil, topping both with stracciatella cheese. Warndu uses this country’s native plants, nuts, seeds and proteins and each of these will create meaningful meals, meals that are local and seasonal in the true sense of words.
This dish inspired by one of my recent trips to the Huon Salmon farm in Tasmania. Makes a huge difference to the taste of the dish when fish is harvested at night and arrives fresh the next day. Paired with a delicious fresh and simple spring recipe.