This is an easy, delicious recipe that takes fewer than 10 minutes to prepare and cook. Although tuna is a very versatile ingredient, it is also a very delicate fish that needs to be cooked properly.

Seared and marinated tuna with kale

Serves 2

Ingredients

250g tuna steak
1 tbsp olive oil

To prepare the marinade:

½ a cup of rapeseed oil
3 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp soya sauce
½ a stick of lemongrass
5g grated ginger
½ a lemon zested

To prepare the garnish and light sauce:

5 spring onions (keep 1 raw for slicing)
35g kale
50g Greek yoghurt
1 tsp Dijon mustard
½ a garlic clove
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
A pinch of paprika
A handful of coriander cress

Salt and pepper

Method:

Place the tuna steaks in a shallow dish. Whisk together the oil, rice vinegar and soya sauce in a small mixing bowl. Add the roughly chopped lemongrass, ginger and zest to the liquid mix. Pour the marinade over the tuna making sure the steaks are completely covered.
Cover with cling film and leave in the fridge for a couple of hours.
Rinse and trim the kale and spring onions before using. Then place a saucepan with butter over a medium heat and roast the kale for approx. 3 to 5 minutes. Once the leaves turn from a dusty green to a dark emerald with brown curly edges, add the grated garlic to the pan. Season with salt and pepper and remove from the heat.
Place a small frying pan over a medium heat with a drizzle of olive oil. Slice the spring onions in half and place them in the pan. Cook the vegetables for a couple of minutes on both side until golden brown and tender.
Tuna can dry out very quickly and lose its delicate taste if overcooked. Remove the tuna from the marinade and lightly pat with absorbing paper before seasoning with salt and pepper. Heat up the olive oil in large frying pan over a medium to high heat.
Once the pan is nice and hot place the steaks inside and do not touch for the next 2 minutes. When the tuna no longer sticks to the pan it’s ready to be flipped and seared for a further 2 minutes on the other side. The flesh must stay pink and warm inside.
To create a light and tasty sauce, whisk together the yogurt, mustard and finely sliced spring onion. Season with salt, pepper and a pinch of paprika. Dress with coriander cress.

See all Michel Roux Jr recipes on Decanter.com

Matching wines

Excellent value for money, the Araldica, Madonnina Gavi 2013 is a delicate and floral white wine from the Piedmont region in Italy. Fresh and predominantly citrus flavoured, this Italian wine is the perfect match for this vibrant and delicious dish.

Tuna is a meaty fish which adapts well to medium bodied white wines. This is why I suggest a Domaine Michel Bouzereau, Bourgogne Blanc 2013. A lively Chardonnay full of peach and apricot aromas that would go hand in hand with this original recipe.

Produced and grown in the Basque region close to where the tuna is caught; the Arretxea, Irouleguy Blanc, Hegoxuri 2013 is worth every single penny. This subtle white wine with exotic fruit flavours sublimes this simple dish.

Wines to drink with seared and marinated tuna with kale by Michel Roux Jr.

Araldica, Madonnina Gavi 2013: Fantastically vibrant, with a crisp citrusy freshness from the lime and grapefruit flavours, this white was hand crafted in the south-east corner of Piedmont. Clean and refreshing it cuts beautifully against the heat of the paprika and meatiness of the tuna. RRP: £9.99 Virgin Wines

Domaine Michel Bouzereau, Bourgogne Blanc 2013: With wonderful stone fruit flavours such as peach and apricot, this beautifully shimmering white wine has a beautiful sweetness that complements the herbaciousness of the dish.
RRP: £22 Berry Bros & Rudd

Arretxea, Irouleguy Blanc, Hegoxuri 2013: This complex wine is made from indigenous grapes of the Basque region and layer the palate with a range of flavours and aromas that just keep giving. Full of fruity notes such as melon, mango and citrus, this golden wine even has hints of espresso on the nose.
RRP: £23.98 Vivino