Seared Tuna with Toasted Cumin-Tomato Sauce
Makes 8-10 tapa servings
1 pound fresh tuna
¼ cup olive oil
1 handful of sliced almonds
½ teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon minced garlic
salt & pepper
toasted cumin tomato sauce (below)
Cut tuna into 4 oz. pieces and drizzle with a few tablespoons of olive oil. Mix almonds, aprika, garlic, salt and pepper in a bowl. Toss tuna pieces with almond mixture until the fish is well coated.
Heat the remaining olive oil in a sauté pan on medium-high heat. Sear the tuna for about 2 minutes per side. Remove the pan and serve immediately with the sauce.
Toasted Cumin Tomato Sauce
Makes 2 ½ cups
1 tablespoon whole cumin seed
½ white onion, diced
¼ olive oil
¼ cup sweet cooking sherry
6 roma tomatoes, diced
6 cloves garlic
1 cup tomato juice
salt & black pepper
Toast cumin seeds in a hot, dry skillet by tossing the seeds for about 1 minute over high heat. Grind in a spice grinder and set aside.
In a small saucepan on high heat, sauté onion in olive oil until soft. Add sherry and cook for 2 minutes. Then add tomatoes, garlic, tomato juice and cumin; turn heat down to medium and cook 5 more minutes. Puree very well in a blender.