Tuna with Tomatillo Avocado Salsa

tuna with tomatillo, originally uploaded by Kim De.

One of my New Year goals is to start serving fish or seafood two times a week. It would be easy to fall back on shrimp all the time, but that wouldn't provide all the health benefits I'm looking for.

I am working on trying to find ways to cook salmon that will be pleasing to me and cause me to say "tonight I want salmon". In the meantime I am falling back on the fish types I know I love - and one of these is fresh tuna steaks.

This week I pulled out another book I have neglected, Douglas Rodriguez's Latin Flavors on the Grill. This book is a gem - great recipes with fresh ingredients, lots of pictures, and grilling is the recommended cooking method. Right now it is hard to cook outdoors - our gas grill just doesn't hold the heat when it is cold - but this is when a cast iron pan or stove top grill comes in handy.

For as "exotic" as the ingredients might sound, the salsa comes together very quickly. I made it earlier in the day, adding the avocado right before serving to help keep its vibrant green color. Tomatillos have such a fresh flavor, almost like you can taste the "green". If you haven't ever tried it, I highly recommend it. After making the salsa, the rest of the recipe is a snap.

Tuna with Tomatillo-Avocado Salsa (Latin Flavors on the Grill)

Salsa
16 tomatillos, husked and washed
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 ripe, firm Hass avocado, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 poblano chile, seeded and minced
1 jalapeno chile, seeded and minced
1 small white onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T chopped cilantro
2 T olive oil, or garlic oil if you have it (NOTE: I left this ingredient out all together.)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

6 (6oz) tuna steaks, cut one-inch thick
2T oil
Salt and pepper

To make the salsa, place 8 of the tomatillos in a blender with the lemon juice and 2 T of water. Puree well and pour into a bowl. Dice the 8 remaining tomatillos into small dice. Add to the pureed tomatillos, along with the avocado, poblano, jalapeno, onion, garlic, cilantro, olive or garlic oil and salt and pepper. Set aside.

Prepare a medium fire for the grill (or preheat a cast iron piece over medium heat).

Oil and season the tuna steaks, arrange on the hot grate, and grill for 2-3 minutes per side for rare, 4-5 minutes for medium-rare, and 6-7 minutes per side for well done.

Transfer to serving plates, spoon salsa over the tuna and serve immediately.