Ingredients
- 4 tuna steaks (3/4 inch thick; 6 to 8 ounces each)
- 1 bunch basil, washed and stemmed
- 4 cloves garlic, cut in 1/2
- 3 strips lemon zest
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Directions
1. Trim any skin or dark or bloody spots off the tuna. Rinse the tuna under cold running water and blot dry with paper towels. Arrange the steaks in a nonreactive baking dish.
2. Combine the basil, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice vinegar, oil, salt, and pepper in a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. Pour this mixture over tuna and let marinate in the refrigerator, covered, for 30 minutes to 2 hours.
3. Set up the grill for direct grilling an preheat to high. If using a gas grill, place the wood chips, if desired, in the smoker box or in a smoker pouch and preheat until you see smoke. When ready to cook, brush and oil the grill grate. If using a charcoal grill, toss the wood chips, if desired, on the coals. Drain the tuna steaks and arrange on the grill. Grill until cooked to taste, 2 to 3 minutes per side for rare, 4 to 6 minutes per side for medium, rotating the steaks 45 degrees after 2 minutes to create an attractive crosshatch of grill marks. The steaks should be nicely browned on the outside. Test for doneness using the poke method: A rare steak will be quite soft, with just a little resistance at the surface; a medium-rare steak will be gently yielding; and a medium steak will be quite firm. Transfer the steaks to a plate or a platter and let rest for 3 minutes, then server with a salad.
You can use any fish steak for this recipe; for that matter you could use the basil marinade for fillets or small whole fish.
Basil Grilled Tuna. To import, drag image to your MacGourmet recipe box.