If ever I’m in a food rut, I turn to the food network. As soon as I watch show, I get inspired with flavor combinations, ingredients, and dishes. That’s where this one came from. It’s an adaptation of a Bobby Flay recipe that combines classic Tuscan flavors like lemon, fennel, rosemary, tuna, basil, olives, and anchovies.
Do you read “anchovies” with a scowl? You like caesar salad right? What do you think is in that dressing? Delicious anchovies! I agree with Bobby, “your friends like anchovies, they just don’t know it”, he says. So use them in this recipe, everyone will love it, and they will have no idea it’s anchovies that add so much flavor.
I like to make the dressing in a large bowl and add the salad ingredients on top as I’m slicing them up. If you’re going in the order the ingredients are listed as I did, the onion and fennel will soak directly in the dressing. I like this because it almost marinates the veggies and at the same time allows the veggies’ flavor to permeate the already flavor-packed dressing. Then the lettuce sits atop in the bowl away from the dressing so it doesn’t get soggy. That way you can prep the whole salad and toss it right before you’re ready to serve. It’s an easy method to enhance the overall flavor of the salad and to save on clean-up by eliminating extra bowls.
- 1 pound ahi tuna steaks (or 12 oz. canned tuna in olive oil)
- ¼ teaspoon ground fennel
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil
- salt and pepper
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- 3 anchovies, canned in oil, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ bulb fennel, thinly sliced
- ¼ red onion, thinly sliced
- ½ cup kalamata olives, roughly chopped
- 4 cups mixed baby greens
- ¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
- ¼ cup fresh italian flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- Season both sides of the tuna with salt, pepper, and the ground fennel.
- Heat a pan over medium heat. Add coconut oil. Add tuna and cook 3-4 minutes per side until just barely cooked through.
- Cool for about 5 minutes, then flake the fish apart into large chunks. Set aside.
- In a large bowl combine all dressing ingredients. Add all salad ingredients and chunked tuna. Toss to combine then serve!
