This week we had too many French beans to cope with and so we needed to be a little inventive! We therefore combined some of the dishes we have tried over the last couple of decades travelling over Europe and were delighted with the outcome. I doubt its absolute authenticity but am convinced by its principal ingredients. More importantly – it just works!!!
Basically this is a bean dish designed to ‘showcase’ a piece of meat or fish. We lit the BGE and set it up for indirect cooking. As it was heating up we put into the BGE a small pan of trimmed French beans which had been halved (as they were long). As the BGE came up to temperature we let the beans boil for around 3 minutes to begin to cook. The water was then poured away and the beans were put to one side. In a sauté pan we then cooked a finely chopped shallot in some olive oil and part way through cooking added a coarsely chopped garlic clove.
Once these had taken on a little colour a can of chopped tomatoes joined the mixture to cook for around 10 minutes with some freshly chopped herbs (on this occasion thyme, oregano and rosemary). We were almost there ! A small handful of chopped green olives, lemon zest, capers, salt and pepper was added to the pan.
All that was left to do was to add the almost cooked French beans, and let the whole dish come together. This makes a fine side dish, or indeed a light supper dish in it’s own right. Today however we were using oil to underpin some freshly grilled Tuna with a little grilled lemon – this worked perfectly!
Once the beans were cooked, the platesetter was removed and the Tuna was grilled on the BGE – this time direct – at 250C for about 1 minute a side. The tuna was then served on the beans and the grilled lemon squeezed over the top
Delicious!
………… give it a go – it is so easy!!
Tuna with Sicilian lemon tested beans in a tomato sauce
A simple sauce using tomatoes and shallots, enhanced with lemon zest, and olives with green beans - the perfect foil for grilled Tuna.
Ingredients
- French beans - around 300g
- 1-2 Shallots finely chopped
- Garlic clove coarsely chopped
- Olive oil
- Can of chopped tomatoes 400g
- Freshly chopped herbs (e.g. thyme, oregano and rosemary). Handful of chopped green olives
- 1 lemon
- 3 tbsp capers
- Salt and pepper.
- 2 Tuna steaks
Directions
- Step 1 Set up the BGE for indirect cooking aiming for around 180C. If the beans are long cut in half put on the BGE in a small pan of water – allow to partially cook as the EGG warms up. Once partially cooked pour the water away and set the beans to one side
- Step 2 In a sauté pan sauté the finely chopped shallot in some olive oil and part way through cooking add a coarsely chopped garlic clove. Once these have taken on a little colour add a can of chopped tomatoes and allow the mixture to cook for around 10 minutes with some freshly chopped herbs
- Step 3 Add a small handful of chopped green olives, the zest of the lemon and the capers. Season with salt and pepper.
- Step 4 Finally add the partially cooked French beans, and let the dish come together.
- Step 5 As the beans are finishing – open up the vents on the BGE to allow the temperature to begin to rise. After a couple of minutes , remove the beans and the platesetter. Put the platesetter flat on a heat proof surface and put the pan of beans on this to keep warm. Once the BGE gets to around 225-250C grill the Tuna for around 1 min on each side. at the same time cut the lemon into 4 lengthways and add to the grill to warm and colour
- Step 6 Serve the tuna on top of the beans with the hot lemon ready to squeeze over the top
