Pan-Seared Tuna Steak with Garlic Spinach and Lemon Drizzle

Pan-Seared Tuna Steak with Garlic Spinach and Lemon Drizzle

This pan-seared tuna steak is a quick dinner for one, cooked at Casa Adora in Jaén. A 200 g steak is seared hard in a very hot pan, left rare in the middle, and rested on soft garlic spinach with a lemon drizzle of zest, juice and extra virgin olive oil. From pan to plate takes about fifteen minutes.

Ingredients (serves 1)

• 200 g tuna steak, about 2.5–3 cm thick
• 1 tbsp olive oil, for searing
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 150 g fresh spinach
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• ½ lemon, zest and juice
• 1–2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, to finish

Method

1. Prep the tuna. Take the steak out of the fridge 10 minutes before cooking. Pat it completely dry with kitchen paper, then season both sides with salt and black pepper.
2. Heat the pan. Put a heavy frying pan over a high heat and add 1 tbsp olive oil. Wait until it is very hot and just starting to shimmer.
3. Sear the tuna. Lay the steak in the pan and cook for 1½–2 minutes per side, without moving it, until a dark crust forms. Lift it onto a warm plate to rest.
4. Cook the garlic spinach. Turn the heat down to medium. Add the sliced garlic to the same pan for 20–30 seconds, until fragrant but not browned. Add the spinach with a pinch of salt and turn it for 1–2 minutes, until just wilted.
5. Plate up. Pile the garlic spinach onto a warm plate and sit the tuna on top. Grate the lemon zest over the steak, squeeze over the juice, then finish with a generous pour of extra virgin olive oil.

Tips for cooking tuna steak

• Keep it rare. Aim for an internal temperature of 48–52°C. Overcooked tuna turns dry and loses its steak-like texture.
• Dry steak, hot pan. Moisture stops the crust forming, and a pan that isn't hot enough steams the fish instead of searing it.
• Thickness matters. At 2.5–3 cm the outside colours well while the centre stays rosy. A thinner steak needs less time.
• Squeeze the spinach. If the garlic spinach releases a lot of water, tip it into a sieve for a moment so the plate stays dry and the oil stays golden.

The lemon drizzle

The lemon drizzle is nothing more than fresh lemon juice, zest and good extra virgin olive oil, added at the last second so it stays bright. It cuts through the richness of the fish and soaks into the garlic spinach underneath.

What to serve with it

Boiled new potatoes with a little butter are the easy partner, and a spoonful of harissa yoghurt on the side adds some heat. If you want something richer and more Mediterranean, try my Mediterranean tuna steak with warm tomato and fennel compote, or go bolder with the pan-seared tuna steak with chilli lime soy drizzle.

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Footnote

This pan-seared tuna steak recipe is part of my Tuna Steak Recipes collection and my Inland Fish and Seafood hub, a collection of resourceful ways to prepare the sea's bounty from the heart of rural Spain.
Find more recipes and food adventures here.
Wonky photos, proper food, genuine adventures – The Flexible Chef