Seared Albacore And Peaches With Quinoa Haricots Verts And Pistou Recipes

Steps:

• First blanch the haricots verts in salted boiling water until al dente (or cooked to your liking). Once this is done, drain the beans into a strainer or colander and then they should be shocked by dunking the strainer of beans into a waiting bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process, which will also help them retain a great color. Drain and set aside in refrigerator until needed.
• Place 1 of the limes in a small microwave-safe bowl and microwave it until the essential oils in the skin are released. These limes will be hot coming from the microwave, so you can let them cool before squeezing them. Turn on the blender and through the feed tube, add the rosemary, tarragon, cilantro, stone-ground mustard, rice wine vinegar, and fresh ginger, and blend together until a smooth paste has formed. At this point the limes should be cool enough to squeeze. With the power on, add the lime juice through the blender feed-tube, and then very slowly add the oil and water until the mixture thickens and can coat the back of a spoon. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Set aside in refrigerator until needed. (When chilled, the dressing should resemble something like mayonnaise.)
• Reserve some of the dressing to drizzle on the plate later. Then, mix the beans, tomato, and onions with the dressing (adjusting the amount to your preference) and refrigerate for only a couple of hours. (Don't mix too far ahead, because the salad ingredients will bleed and you will have a very runny dressing).
• Heat a large saute pan or heavy skillet for about 3 minutes over high heat. Season the salmon fillets with your choice of seasoning. Add the oil carefully, a little bit at a time, to the pan swirling it around to coat the sides. Place the salmon, flesh side down, and leave untouched for about 3 minutes. (Do not shake the pan! You are trying to get the fish's natural sugars to come to the surface in this browning process.) After about 3 minutes, use a spatula to turn the fish over and cook the other side. The fish will cook quickly, although cooking time will vary according to the thickness of the fillet. Do not overcook it. When you touch the flesh and it springs back, it is done. Remove the fish to a platter and let it rest for a couple of minutes. This rest time is very important; it will allow the juices to flow back into the fish. (Don't worry, it won't get cold!)

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, combine quinoa with 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, until all the water is absorbed, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat, add olive oil, and toss to mix. Cover and keep warm.
• Place a large pot of lightly salted water over high heat to bring to a boil. Set aside a large bowl filled with water and ice.
• Add haricots verts to boiling water and blanch just until bright green, about 30 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, scoop out beans (reserving boiling water) and transfer to ice water to chill. Using the slotted spoon, transfer beans to a colander (reserving ice water) and drain.
• Add basil, parsley and tarragon to boiling water. Blanch 2 minutes, then drain and transfer to ice water to chill. Drain again. Place herbs in a kitchen towel and roll gently to remove excess water. Chop coarsely and place in a blender. Add garlic and 1/2 cup grapeseed oil. Blend until very smooth. Place haricot verts in a bowl, and toss with 2 tablespoons of the herb purée (known as pistou) and lemon juice to taste, reserving remaining pistou and juice.
• Place a large sauté pan over medium heat, and add 1/4 cup grapeseed oil. Sear peaches, cut sides down, until caramelized and golden brown, about 3 minutes, then remove from heat and set aside. Clean pan and return to high heat. Add remaining 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil. Season tuna with salt and pepper to taste. Add to pan and sear sides and edges so the center remains raw, 30 seconds to 1 minute each side, pressing tuna against side of pan to sear edges. Remove from heat, slice thinly, and season with lemon juice and salt to taste.
• To serve, spread quinoa across 4 serving plates. Top with haricot verts mixture. Arrange peach halves on top. Fan the sliced tuna on the plates, and garnish with pistou as desired.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.
• Add the goat cheese and dill into a small bowl and mix to combine. Place roughly a teaspoon of olive oil into the bottom of each muffin tin. Add 2 slices of the potato into the bottom of the muffin tin and season with kosher salt. Add a few crumbles of the dill goat cheese, another layer of potato and drizzle of olive oil. Repeat this process with potato, kosher salt, dill goat cheese and olive oil until the muffin tins are filled to the top. Place into the oven and bake until golden brown, about 45 minutes, turning the pan halfway through.
• Add the golden raisins, white wine vinegar and sugar to a small bowl. Stir to combine, then let steep for 20 minutes to plump the raisins. Drain and set aside.
• Set up a pot of boiling water and season generously with kosher salt; it should be as salty as the sea. Prepare an ice bath and season generously with kosher salt. Add the haricots verts to the boiling water and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until bright green and tender, but still slightly crisp. Remove the haricots verts and immediately plunge into the ice bath and set aside.
• Add the radishes to a large bowl with a large drizzle of olive oil and kosher salt to taste. Spread the radishes onto a sheet tray, arranging them flat side down. Transfer into the oven and roast for 20 minutes.
• Mix the cumin and fennel pollen in a small bowl. Sprinkle the lamb chops liberally with the seasoning mix (reserving a small amount) and kosher salt on both sides. Heat a large sauté pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Sear the lamb chops, in batches, until browned on all sides, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer the lamb chops onto a sheet tray and place into the oven to finish cooking for 5 to 6 minutes, or until they reach an internal temperature of 135 degrees F for medium-rare.
• Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the smashed garlic to a large high-sided pan. Turn on the heat to medium and swirl the pan to infuse the oil with the garlic. Add the fennel, anchovies, shallot, lemon segments, kalamata olives and kosher salt to taste. Cook for 5 minutes, then remove the garlic. Cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, until the fennel begins to soften. Then add the white wine and cook until reduced by half. Add 1/4 cup of the chicken stock and a pinch of the reserved seasoning mix. Stir to combine, then add the plumped raisins and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the remaining 1/4 cup chicken stock and 1 tablespoon of the butter. Swirl to melt, then add the remaining tablespoon butter. Stir in half of the pine nuts.
• Heat a large sauté pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the blanched haricots verts, roasted radishes and kosher salt to taste. Toss to warm through, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Set up a fryer with vegetable oil and heat the oil to 350 degrees F. Fry the capers until crispy, 1 to 2 minutes. Be careful because they will pop in the oil. Remove the capers onto a paper-towel-lined sheet tray.
• To serve, plate the scalloped potato cakes, followed by the haricots verts and radishes. Lay the lamb chops over the top, and then the sauce. Garnish with the fried capers, micro fines herbs, micro thyme, a dusting of fennel pollen and fennel fronds and the remaining pine nuts.