Grilled Tombo Ahi Tuna with Rémoulade Sauce (with Homemade Aïoli) & Shaved Fennel Salad with Lemon, Parsley & Chives

Curtis Stone and I had our first cooking together *spat* today. I guess it actually wasn't Curtis I was angry with but rather his web server, or website, or maybe his webmaster. His site has been down at least 24 hours, which left me unable to access the Shaved Fennel Salad with Lemon, Parsley, and Chives that I was making to accompany his Grilled Tombo Ahi Tuna with Rémoulade Sauce from Good Food, Good Life. Harsh words were spoken--at least in my head! ;-) I had written down the three ingredients I needed to pick up from the store--lemon, local fennel, and chives--but not any of the quantities and I couldn't remember what was in the dressing or if there even was a dressing beyond the lemon juice. Wouldn't you know it, I couldn't find the recipe published anywhere else beyond his website, so I did my best guess and made a light dressing with lemon juice, a bit of local honey, a little mac nut oil, salt and pepper. I am sure it isn't the recipe but it was delicious and paired well with the wonderful grilled tuna and rémoulade sauce. 

This week we are cooking Curtis Stone dishes that feature or include local and seasonal ingredients. Seasonal is a bit of a misnomer here as much of the produce is available year round, but local we can do. In these two dishes many of the main components are locally sourced; the local white 'tombo' ahi tuna (a good sustainable fish choice), the eggs in the aïoli for the rémoulade, the fennel bulbs, the macadamia nut oil, the green onions and tarragon in the sauce and the parsley and chives in the fennel salad. 

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Curtis says, "This recipe may seem simple, but it is, in fact, genius! I like to grill 8 fish steaks even when I am just making dinner for 4, so I can combine the leftover fish and
rémoulade sauce the next day to make tuna salad sandwiches or tuna melts. For tuna salad, mix equal parts leftover grilled tuna and rémoulade sauce. Serve with mixed  green salad and grilled bread for a quick, stress-free dinner."

Grilled Tuna with Rémoulade Sauce
Slightly adapted from Good Food, Good Life by Curtis Stone
(Serves 8)

Rémoulade Sauce:
1/2 cup Aïoli (recipe below) or mayonnaise
1/2 cup crème fraîche (I used vegan sour cream)
2/3 cup finely chopped scallions (white and green parts)
1/4 cup drained capers (I added an extra Tbsp)
1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh tarragon
finely grated zest of 2 lemons
3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 garlic cloves finely chopped

Tuna:
8 (5-oz) (albacore or tombo ahi) tuna steaks
2 Tbsp olive, macadamia nut oil, or other cooking oil
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

To make the rémoulade, in a medium bowl, whisk the aïoli, crème fraîche, scallions, capers, tarragon, lemon zest, lemon juice, and garlic together. Cover and refrigerate while preparing the tuna. 

For tuna, prepare a grill pan for high heat. Coat the tuna with oil and season with salt and pepper. When the pan is hot, set the tuna on it and grill for about 1 to 2 minutes per side depending on thickness, until it feels feels flaky on the outside but is still medium-rare when the thickest part is pierced with the tip of a sharp knife. Using a metal fish spatula, carefully transfer the tuna to plates or a serving platter and let stand for at least 3 minutes before serving. 

Serve tuna hot or cold with the rémoulade sauce.

Curtis notes that the rémoulade sauce can be made up to 3 days ahead, covered and refrigerated and any remaining grilled tuna can be covered and refrigerated up to one day to enjoy as leftovers.
 

Homemade Aïoli
Slightly adapted from Good Food, Good Life by Curtis Stone
(Makes 2 Cups)

2 small garlic cloves
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard (I used Creole mustard)
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 large egg yolks (get eggs from a trusted source)
1 cup grapeseed oil 
1/2 cup olive oil
kosher salt

In a food processor or high-speed blender, combine the garlic, mustard, lemon juice and egg yolks and process until smooth.

With the motor running, slowly add the oils, processing until the mixture is emulsified and creamy. Add enough water to thin the aïoli to the desired consistency. Season to taste with salt. 

Curtis notes that the aïoli will keep up to 5 days, covered and refrigerated.  

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You can find the recipe for Shaved Fennel Salad with Lemon, Parsley & Chives on Curtisstone.com--at least if it ever works again and you don't get "The website encountered an unexpected error. Please try again later" message. If not, I combined 3 small fennel bulbs, shaved with a mandoline and added 1/4 cup each of finely-chopped parsley and chives and the zest of 1 lemon, then added a dressing made of 1 Tbsp lemon juice, 1 Tbsp mac nut oil, 1 tsp honey, salt and pepper to taste. 

Notes/Results: There is much to love about the grilled tuna and rémoulade sauce--it is delicious with the mild, sweet white tuna complemented by the tangy sauce. (Plus it's full of capers and tarragon--two of my favorite things.) It's fun and really easy to make the aïoli for the rémoulade sauce in my Vita-Mix, watching the oil drizzle in and emulsify into thick garlicky mayo--I don't know why I don't it more often. The aïoli recipe makes 2 cups so there is plenty leftover to slather on or dip into later. I'll be using the leftover  rémoulade sauce and the aïoli with crab cakes for a book review post on Monday. I was actually pretty happy with the way the fennel salad turned out, even without the recipe and it paired well with the fish with its crisp texture and refreshing flavor. I would definitely make both recipes again.

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This post is being linked at I Heart Cooking Clubs where our theme this week is Local & Seasonal--Curtis Stone recipes that feature or include seasonal and locally grown or produced ingredients. You can see what delicious dishes everyone made by checking out the picture links on the post.

I am also linking up the Shaved Fennel Salad to this week's Souper (Soup, Salad, & Sammie) Sundays post here at Kahakai Kitchen. If you have a soup, salad or sandwich to share you can join in by linking your post up. Here's this week's picture linkup--details are on the post.

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