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Salad of poached tuna, feta stuffed eggplant and beans

Salad of poached tuna, feta stuffed eggplant and beans

Serves 4



2   200 gm tuna steaks
400 gm   baby green beans, trimmed, blanched and refreshed in iced water
2 cups   firmly packed rocket
50 gm   pinenuts, roasted
Filled eggplants
2½ tbsp   olive oil
4   Japanese eggplants, peeled, with stem end intact
100 gm   feta, crumbled
¼ cup   coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
2   lemons, finely grated rind only
Pinch   allspice
Rosemary vinaigrette
100 ml   extra-virgin olive oil
3   chopped anchovy fillets
2   cloves of finely chopped garlic
100 ml   red wine vinegar
1 tbsp   finely chopped rosemary
3   bay leaves
Fresh tomato and caper relish
4   egg tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
1   small Spanish onion, finely chopped
2 tsp   baby capers
15   basil leaves, torn
4   anchovy fillets, finely chopped
¼ cup   extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp   lemon juice


1 For rosemary vinaigrette, place olive oil, anchovies and garlic in a saucepan and cook over low heat until lukewarm. Whisk in vinegar, 1½ tbsp water, rosemary and bay leaves, then simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and cool until required. Makes about 200ml.
2 For tomato and caper relish, combine tomatoes, onion, capers, basil and anchovy fillets in a bowl. Add olive oil and lemon juice, season to taste and toss to combine well.
3 Half fill a wide saucepan with salted water and heat over low heat until 70C, add tuna and cook for 5 minutes, then remove tuna from pan, cool to room temperature. Cut into thin slices.
4 Meanwhile, for filled eggplants, heat olive oil in a frying pan, add eggplant and cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes or until soft and golden all over. Remove, drain on absorbent paper, then cut a pocket lengthways in each eggplant, leaving ends joined. Combine feta, parsley, lemon rind and allspice in a bowl, then divide stuffing among eggplant, place in a roasting pan and bake at 180C for 5 minutes or until heated through.
5 Place tuna, beans, rocket and pinenuts in bowl. Add enough rosemary vinaigrette to just coat, then season to taste and toss well to combine. Divide salad and filled eggplant among bowls, top with a spoonful of tomato and caper relish and serve immediately.


RECIPE George Sinclair PHOTOGRAPHY William Meppem STYLING Michaela Le Compte


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