Seared tuna with chickpeas, iceberg lettuce, hummus and harissa

Fiona Anderson

Most white fish work well in this dish but I particularly like tuna or lemon sole.

Ingredients

½ cup	Hummus, see recipe below
½ cup	Chickpeas
¼ cup	Harissa paste, see recipe below
¼	Iceberg lettuce
40 ml	Olive oil
2 steaks	Tuna, 150g each, 1cm thick (Main)
2 cups	Salad greens, optional
20 ml	Extra virgin olive oil

Hummus

1 cup	Dried chickpeas, soaked in cold water overnight
2 cloves	Garlic, peeled
1 Tbsp	Tahini paste
1	Lemon, freshly juiced
½ cup	Olive oil
1 cup	Water

Harissa

1 tsp	Ground chilli
1 ½ tsp	Cumin seeds, roasted and ground
1 ½ tsp	Caraway seeds, roasted and ground
3 cloves	Garlic, peeled
5	Red capsicums, roasted with skin and seeds removed
2 tsp	Tomato paste
2 tsp	Red wine vinegar, use a good quality variety
1 tsp	Sweet smoked paprika
½ cup	Extra virgin olive oil

Directions

1. Spoon hummus on to the centre of two large plates and spread out slightly with the back of the spoon. Scatter chickpeas over the hummus then spoon harissa over the hummus and chickpeas.
2. Cut lettuce into 2 wedges and place a wedge on each plate.
3. Heat olive oil in a heavy based frying pan over a high heat until very hot. Lightly season tuna on both sides with a little salt and pepper and sear for 30 seconds on each side.
4. Remove tuna from pan and place a steak on each plate. Serve with salad greens if using and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Hummus

1. Drain chickpeas and place in to a small pot. Cover well with water and bring to the boil over a high heat. Reduce heat slightly and cook for 45 minutes or until tender, topping up with additional water as needed. Drain cooked chickpeas and rinse well in cold running water.
2. Place chickpeas into a food processor with garlic, tahini paste and lemon juice and process until well combined. With the motor still running, add olive oil and ¾ of the water. For a wetter consistency, add remaining water and season to taste. For a thicker hummus, omit remaining water. Hummus keeps for up to 10 days in the fridge. Makes 1 cup.

Harissa

1. Place chilli, cumin, caraway, garlic and peppers into a food processor and blend until smooth.
2. Add tomato paste, red wine vinegar, smoked paprika and blend to combine. Scrape contents of blender into a stainless steel bowl and whisk in olive oil and season to taste. Store harissa in the fridge for up to 3 weeks. Makes 1½ cups.