COLD

Fresh Sashimi Tuna with Sun-Dried Tomato and Green Olive Tapenade

This sandwich isn’t really inspired by any other filling combinations I’ve seen on my travels. I just wanted to have ‘sashimi’ tuna on a sandwich. It’s fantastic on focaccia. Originally I thought about a ginger tapenade, but later changed it to this Mediterranean version that has become a staple in the shop. What’s great about tapenade is that you can make lots of it and serve it as a dip, or on other sandwiches.

Ingredients

4 tablespoons Sun-Dried Tomato and Green Olive Tapenade (see recipe)

200 g (7 oz) sashimi-grade tuna, in one piece as required olive oil

salt and black pepper

½ lemon

1 handful young rocket (arugula) leaves

to taste Lemon Olive Oil (see recipe)

Method

Heat a chargrill pan or plate on high. While the pan is heating, slice open the focaccia and spread one side generously with the tapenade. Coat your chunk of fresh tuna in olive oil, and rub some of the oil in so that it’s not dripping. Salt and pepper this now. Sear the tuna on each side for no more than a minute or two, depending on the thickness of the steak. Make sure you don’t cook it through; you want to keep that delicate sashimi-raw centre.

Take the tuna out of the pan, and let it sit for a minute so that it doesn’t flake when you cut it. At the shop we have a professional slicer but, at home, you’ll have to mimic this with the thinnest, sharpest knife you’ve got. Slice the tuna steak in 5 mm (¼ inch) thick pieces and layer these on top of the tapenade. Give it a squeeze of lemon and some salt and pepper before piling on the rocket. Drizzle the lemon olive oil on the other slice of bread, then place on top to make the sandwich.