Tuna with Lemon Salsa

I bought a couple of tuna steaks for dinner tonight with the idea of serving them with a simple salsa. Looking at the recipe page on n.com I found this recipe by Nigella that I've never seen before, it featured apparently on a ITV show and is not from any of her books. Well easier it couldn't be and as I was wanting something requiring minimum effort decided to give it a try.

I made the salsa a bit in advance, chopping the onion and herbs by hand, as I felt it wouldn't hurt to let it stand for a while and allow the flavours to meld. Actually I would recommend you do this as the lemon really lost a lot of its sharpness and became very mellow. I'm lucky enough to have a ridged iron grill that I love using, you can pick them up quite cheaply here although I know they are much more expensive in the UK, and the stripey marks they leave on the food look so appetising I feel. The tuna got dunked in the marinade as specified in the recipe and then quickly grilled, about 2 minutes a side, so as to leave it gleamingly pink in the middle. The steaks were then served immediately with the salsa and some waxy potatoes boiled in their skins. Nice and easy ... and delicious too!

Tuna with Lemon Salsa - Serves 4

for the salsa:
2 lemons
1 small red onion
Small bunch of mint
Small bunch of parsley
Extra virgin olive oil 75ml - 100ml (or to taste)
Maldon salt to taste
Freshly ground pepper

for the marinade:
2 tablespoons chilli oil or wok oil
Juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon dried mint
1 teaspoon Maldon salt or half teaspoon table salt

4 tuna steaks

First of all make the salsa. Cut the top and bottom off the lemons so they sit on a chopping board, and then peel them, removing the skin and pith. Chop them roughly and chuck the lemon pieces into a bowl. Now chop the red onion, parsley and mint either by hand, or in the processor, being careful – please – not to turn them to mush. Mix the oniony herby mixture with the chunks of lemon in the bowl and stir in the olive oil and salt and pepper. Sometimes, I have to say, I add some crumbled dried red chilli pepper (or a finely chopped fresh green or red chilli) as well. Leave the salsa to macerate while you cook the fish.

Heat a ridged griddle or frying pan. Put the marinade ingredients into a shallow dish. Mix together and steep the tuna steaks in the dish for a minute a side. Lift the fish out of its marinade into the pan. Cook the tuna steaks on a fairly high heat for a couple of minutes a side, then serve with the lemon salsa.