Grilled Tuna with Celery Root Purée and Crispy Celery Salad
Prep
20 mins
Cook
25 mins
Servings
4
Difficulty
Medium
This is one of my favorite dishes to make when I want something elegant but totally doable on a weeknight. The beauty of this recipe is that it comes together in under an hour, so you can have restaurant quality food on your table without the stress. Seared ahi tuna is wonderfully lean protein that keeps you satisfied without weighing you down, and pairing it with a silky celery root purée creates this amazing contrast of textures. The crispy celery salad adds freshness and a nice pop of brightness that ties everything together. It's simple, it's refined, and honestly, it makes you look like you know what you're doing in the kitchen.
Ella x
Ingredients
- 113 gahi tuna steaks(1.5 inches thick)
- ¾ kgcelery root(peeled and cubed)
- 4celery stalks(2 sliced thin, 2 cut into batons)
- 1granny smith apple(julienned)
- 118 mlwhole milk
- 237 mlvegetable broth
- 4 tablespoonsextra virgin olive oil(divided)
- 3 tablespoonsfresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoonsfresh thyme(chopped)
- 2garlic cloves(minced)
- ½shallot(minced)
- 1 teaspoonsea salt
- ½ teaspoonblack pepper
- 1 teaspoondijon mustard
Detail level
Instructions
- 1
Boil celery root cubes in salted vegetable broth for 12-15 minutes until tender. Drain and transfer to a blender with milk, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and minced garlic. Blend until smooth and creamy, then season with salt and pepper. Keep warm.
Tip: For a silkier purée, pass through a fine-mesh sieve after blending.
- 2
In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, thyme, Dijon mustard, minced shallot, and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Set aside as your lemon-herb dressing.
Tip: Prepare this dressing up to 2 hours ahead for better flavor development.
- 3
Pat tuna steaks dry with paper towels and brush lightly with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Season generously with sea salt and black pepper on both sides.
Tip: Dry tuna is essential for achieving a proper sear and crust.
- 4
Heat a cast-iron or heavy stainless steel skillet over high heat until smoking, approximately 2 minutes. Sear tuna for 2 minutes per side for rare to medium-rare, keeping the interior pink.
Tip: Do not move the tuna while searing—resist the urge to flip early for maximum crust development.
- 5
In a medium bowl, combine sliced celery, celery batons, julienned apple, and half of the lemon-herb dressing. Toss gently and taste for seasoning.
Tip: The acid from the lemon will prevent the apple from browning while adding brightness.
- 6
Spoon warm celery root purée into the center of each plate. Top with a seared tuna steak and drizzle with remaining lemon-herb dressing.
Tip: Serve immediately while the tuna is warm and the celery salad is still crisp.
- 7
Mound the celery and apple salad on top of or alongside the tuna. Finish with a light sprinkle of fleur de sel and fresh cracked pepper.
Tip: For plating elegance, use a microplane to add a hint of lemon zest over the top.
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