Blackened Tuna with Sweet Onion Relish



Blackened Tuna with Sweet Onion Relish



I love tuna steak.  Dan, not so much.  This recipe he loved.  So much so, he told me that I could make it over and over again.  He especially loved the sweet onion relish on top of the tuna steak.

The nice thing about pan-searing tuna is that you can control the level of "done-ness" (is that a word?).  Dan likes his tuna medium well.  I like mine medium rare. 

I didn't use Sushi grade tuna, so that is why I cooked it a little bit longer.  Adjust cooking time accordingly for your liking.   

This recipe is super easy.

Serves 2

What you need to make this dish:

2 medium slices sweet or Vidalia onion
3 teaspoons olive oil, divided2 Tuna steaks (4-6 ounces each)
3 tablespoons salted butter, divided
1-2 teaspoons Blackened Seasoning (your favorite brand)
Coarse sea salt, to taste
1 medium lime, quartered
Fresh chopped dill weed
Fresh chopped chives

Preheat grill to 350 degrees.

Brush onion slices with one teaspoon of the oil, on both sides. 

Grilling sweet onions before slicing and
adding to the pan brings out the flavor.

Toss onion slices on the grill.   Cook on one side only for five minutes and do not flip. 

Brush tuna steaks with another teaspoon of the oil and season with the Blackened seasoning, more or less to taste.  Sprinkle with course sea salt.

Wipe a cast iron or heavy flame-safe skillet with the remaining teaspoon of olive oil with a paper towel.  Heat skillet over the side burner on your grill.   Add one tablespoon of the butter. 

Dan likes his tuna steak medium well,
so I added his to the pan first.

Once butter melts and the skillet is smoking hot, add the tuna.  Cook tuna on three minutes each side for medium rare, or five minutes on one side and four on the other for medium.  Squirt tuna with juice from one quarter of the fresh lime while cooking.

Remove to plate and keep warm.

Turn heat down or off under skillet.

Remove the onions from the grill.  Carefully slice and add to hot skillet.  Return to heat.  Add one more pat of butter.  Squirt with juice of 1/4 of the lime.   Saute the onions for about five minutes.  

Return the tuna steaks to the skillet on top of the onions.  Cook for one or two more minutes to re-warm.  Add the last pat of butter.

Serve onions over tuna.  Be sure to include the butter from the pan.  

Serve each tuna steak with a lime wedge.  Top with fresh dill weed and chives.