Vanilla orchids - Kauai Nursery & Landscaping, Inc.

Black Bean-Crusted Yellowfin Tuna
with Vanilla-Scented Onions
by Pascal Oudin (Serves 4)
For the tuna:
Grape seed oil as needed
2 cups cooked black beans, dried of surface moisture
Salt and pepper to taste
¼ cup honey
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon wasabi paste
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 5-ounce tuna fillets
For the onions:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 Vidalia onions, peeled and sliced into pieces ¼“ thick
1 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped and reserved
Zest of ½ a lemon and ½ a lime
Salt and pepper to taste
For the carrot sauce:
½ cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1/2 teaspoon annatto powder*
2 cups carrot juice
Salt and pepper to taste
For the dish:
2 bunches young bok choy, stemmed,
sautéed, and seasoned
1 large sweet potato, peeled, thinly
sliced, and fried
4 hearts of palm, peeled, cooked, and
sliced on the bias
*Annatto powder is made from annatto seeds and are also called achiote seeds. Turmeric, paprika, or
saffron could be substituted if annatto is not available.
For the tuna, in a medium saucepan, heat the oil to 375 degrees. Add the black beans, frying until crisp,
and spread onto a paper towel-lined half sheet pan to drain and cool. Place the beans in the bowl of a
food processor and process until coarsely ground. Remove to a shallow pan, season, and set aside. In a
small bowl, combine the honey, mustard, and wasabi paste, mixing thoroughly, and set aside.
For the carrot sauce, in a medium saucepan, heat 1 Tbsp of olive oil over med-high heat. Add the garlic
and annatto powder and sauté for two minutes. Add the carrot juice, lower the heat, and simmer until
reduced by ¼. Add the remaining olive oil in a steady stream, whisking to incorporate, and pour into a
food processor. Puree until smooth and strain into a small saucepan. Season and set aside, keeping
warm.
For the onions, in a medium sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions, vanilla
bean and seeds, and zests and cover, cooking for 5-7 minutes and stirring occasionally. Remove from the
heat and discard the vanilla bean. Season and set aside, keeping warm.
To finish the tuna, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a medium sauté pan, heat the olive oil over high
heat. Season the tuna, place in the pan, and sear on all sides for 1-2 minutes. Remove from the heat, cool
slightly, and baste with the honey and wasabi mixture. Roll in the black beans, coating on all sides, and
arrange in a small baking dish. Place in the oven and bake until done. Remove from the oven and keep
warm.
To serve, arrange some onions and bok choy in the center of a plate, place some fried sweet potato slices
on top, and set a piece of tuna over the potatoes. Set two slices of hearts of palm beside the tuna and
spoon some carrot sauce around the plate.