No point in saving time with a “quick” recipe if the result makes you as quick to leave much of it uneaten on your plate.
Happily, it’s not too difficult to find recipes for made-from-scratch dishes that you can whip up in 30 minutes or less, but whose taste will linger enjoyably on your palate and in your memory.
Example: This grilled tuna and peppers with caper vinaigrette.
It’s from the July Gourmet magazine, the Produce Issue, and it’s featured among recipes in the Ten-Minute Mains section. Allow part of that 10 minutes of active time for cutting up fry peppers to grill alongside the tuna; the other easy task is to whisk up the caper vinaigrette. Serving will take a couple of seconds, and then all that’s left is the pleasure of eating, over which you can linger as long as you like.
Grilled Tuna and Peppers With Caper Vinaigrette
(Active time 10 minutes, start to finish 25 minutes)
INGREDIENTS
3/4 pound Italian fry peppers (light green)
Two 3/4-pound sushi-grade tuna steaks (1-inch-thick)
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons small capers in brine, drained and chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flatleaf parsley
DIRECTIONS
Prepare gas grill for cooking over direct high heat (see note.) While grill heats, cut peppers lengthwise into quarters, discarding stems and seeds. Trim ends so that quarters lie flat.
Sprinkle tuna all over with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cook tuna and peppers on lightly oiled grill rack, turning over once, until tuna is pink only in center and peppers are just tender, 4 to 6 minutes total (peppers may take longer than tuna).
Transfer tuna and peppers as cooked to a serving plate.
While tuna cooks, whisk together lemon juice, mustard and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl, then add oil in a slow stream, whisking until emulsified. Whisk in capers and parsley.
Serve tuna topped with peppers and caper vinaigrette.
Makes 4 servings.
Note: If you don’t have a gas grill or aren’t able to grill outdoors, cook tuna on a lightly oiled well-seasoned large (2-burner) ridged grill pan over moderately high heat, turning once, 4 to 6 minutes total.
