Taste Restaurant, Café & Events Featured Recipe

Provencal Herb–Dusted Albacore St. Jude
with Petite Lentils, Winter Greens & Cumin-Onion Jam

Makes 8 appetizer or 4 entrée servings

Ingredients

  • 1/3 pound slab bacon, cut into lardons
  • 1/2–3/4 large sweet onion, minced
  • 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
  • 1 large garlic clove, minced
  • 1/2 jalapeño, minced
  • 1 tablespoon ground dry lavender
  • 1 tablespoon herb de provence
  • A pinch of cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon curry
    1 cup Puy lentils
    (small French green lentils, rinsed under cold water)
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • 1 bay leaf

  • 1–1 1/2 pound St. Jude albacore tuna loin, cut in half
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 cups cleaned and crisped greens
    (Taste SAM Chef Christopher Conville uses a combination of spinach, wild arugula, sorrel, fennel tops, parsley, mint and a chiffinade of some tender greens such as butter lettuce or romaine)
  • 1 ounce fresh lemon juice
  • 3 ounces extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 ounces cumin-onion jam (optional, recipe below)*

For the lentils:
Slowly render the bacon in a sauce pot until the lardons are crisp. Strain them onto a paper towel to drain and reserve. Pour off most of the bacon fat. Sauté the onions in the remaining bacon fat and cook over medium-low heat until translucent. Add the ginger, garlic and jalapeño. Sauté 1 additional minute. Add the curry, the cinnamon and the lentils. Cook until the aroma is strong (1 additional minute, stirring constantly). Add the chicken broth and bay leaf. Bring the heat to medium and allow the mixture to slowly simmer about 30–40 minutes or until most of the liquid has been absorbed and the lentils are tender. Add the bacon and reserve.

For the albacore:
Heat a large cast iron skillet and olive oil over medium-high heat. Season the albacore loin on all sides with lavender, herb de provence, salt and pepper. Sear the loin on all sides until they are golden brown. Turn off the heat and allow the albacore to finish cooking and rest for 3–5 minutes on a cutting board. Slice albacore at a slight angle into 1/4 inch pieces.

The greens & the dish:
In a medium bowl, toss the greens with 2 ounces of the extra virgin olive oil and the lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper and reserve. Divide the lentils onto the center of the designated plates. Add a portion of the greens onto each portion of the lentils. Arrange slices of albacore on top of the greens. Top the albacore with a forkful of the optional onion jam and drizzle the plates with the remaining extra virgin olive oil. Enjoy!

*Cumin-onion jam:
Julienne 1 1/2–2 onions. Heat the onions very slowly in some olive oil on low heat. Simmer for 30 minutes and add 2 cloves of garlic, minced. Cook an additional 5 minutes. Add some freshly toasted and ground cumin and some sherry or zinfandel vinegar. Simmer another 5 minutes and cool.

Recipe by Danielle Custer, General Manager, Taste

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