Recipe > Mains
Tuna with Cashew and Coriander Pesto
This pesto is soooo refreshing and works a dream with the tuna but also goes just as well with all white fleshed fish.
The cashews must be cooked, the nut's flavour is released once it has been browned off.
Serve with green beans, new potatoes and a twist of melted butter

Serves 4

Ingredients
2 Tblsp olive oil
4 x 225g /8oz tuna steaks
Sea salt and cracked black pepper
For the pesto:
1 generous bunch of coriander
85g /3oz cashews
2 cloves garlic
1 Tblsp chopped ginger
2 Tblsp light soy sauce
1 lime, zest and juice of
2 Tsp light brown sugar
1 Tblsp rice vinegar
1 medium chilli, deseeded.
50ml olive oil
Lime wedges to garnish

Mise-en-Place:
Pre-heat your grill
zest and juice the lime, cut the chilli in four lengthwise and scrape out the seeds, wash the coriander, chop the ginger.
Rub the sea salt and cracked pepper into the tuna
Cut lime wedges

Method:
First make the pesto:
Brown off the cashew nuts beneath the grill (if you don't have a grill just dry-fry the nuts in a frying pan.) Be careful not to burn the nuts which will make them bitter.
Put all the pesto ingredients into a blender. (and blend...duh!)
Meanwhile heat the 2 tlbsp of olive oil in a frying pan.
Fry the tuna to your preference.
(Rare: about 1 minute each side on medium to high heat
Medium: about 2-3 minutes each side on medium to high heat
Well done: don't be a muppet.)
Serve immediately with the pesto

Adjust:
To adjust the pesto flavours:
To lighten: more coriander
To mellow: more sugar
For more depth: more browned cashews
For more bite: more rice vinegar or lime

Presentation:
If serving with green beans and new potatoes:
Arrange green beans in the middle of the plate.
Stack the new potatoes on top, for added stability cut the potatoes in half
Place the tuna on top,
Serve with a generous helping of the pesto, a wedge of lime and should you require extra mositure some melted butter/ margarine.

Science behind the dish:
The browning of the cashew nuts releases intense flavours.
The applied heat results in a reaction between reducing sugars and amino acids or proteins. This is known as the 'Maillard Reaction' and only occurs if the foodstuff is exposed to high temperatures.