Amanda Laird: Roasted tuna with Thai eggplant and black vinegar

Picture / Glenn Jeffrey

Serves 4

2 400g fillets tuna
2 Tbs light olive oil, plus 2 Tbs extra
Salt and freshly ground pepper
12 Thai eggplant if available (or Japanese)
2 tsp sesame oil, plus 2 tsp extra
2 tsp toasted sesame seeds
1 tsp palm sugar, grated plus 1 tsp extra
3/4 cup black vinegar
1 tsp preserved mandarin peel, finely sliced
1 Tbs mirin

1. Preheat oven 200C. Rub olive oil over fillets, season and roast 20 minutes.

2. Slice eggplant into rounds if using Japanese; keep Thai whole. Drizzle over 2 tsp sesame oil, extra olive oil, sprinkle over sugar, season and roast for 20 minutes.

3. In a small saucepan, gently heat the extra sesame oil, seeds, sugar, vinegar, peel and mirin until sugar has dissolved. Spoon over tuna to serve.