Seared Peppered Tuna with Pickled Cucumber

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Chef Paul Teal, a British chef, taught me this recipe. I love that it’s equal parts elegance and simplicity- the best formula for any hors d’oeuvres. Speaking of simplicity- he also taught me the importance of understated presentation. When we were catering partners, I proudly showed him a parsley-laden hors d ‘oeuvres tray that I had assembled. His response was “It looks like bloody Central Park”. He was right. Use lots of restraint when garnishing.

The tuna can be seared several hours in advance; refrigerate until ready to slice and serve. The cucumber can be pickled several hours in advance; refrigerate until ready to serve. For a different look, dice the seared tuna and serve it in cucumber cups.

Directions

Tuna: Cut the tuna into equal sized "logs". Roll and press each log in black pepper. Sear on all sides in a very hot pan; immediately refrigerate to cool. The inside should still be very rare.

Pickled Cucumber: In a medium bowl whisk together the sugar and salt; stir in the cucumber slices. Let stand for 20 minutes. Drain; add the vinegar. When ready to serve remove cucumber slices with a slotted spoon.

To Serve: Slice the tuna in ½-inch thick slices; top each with a piece of pickled cucumber. Serve immediately.

Yield:	serves 8

What's Needed:

1 pound tuna, without skin, cut 1- inch thick
Coarsely ground black pepper, as needed to coat

Pickled Cucumber:
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup salt
1/2 cup white vinegar
2 cucumbers, peeled and very thinly sliced

^ Back to Top

Recipe brought
to you by Amy Tobin

Search & Browse

Appetizers

Say Cheese!	Hot Brown Slider with Gravy Mayo	Goat Cheese Palmiers
Cheddar Carrots	Wine-glazed Brie with Flower Petal Mosaic	Peperonata with Ricotta Crostoni from Jon's Wine Bar
Fun Finger Foods with Chef Renee Schuler	Lutèce Gambas au Beurre d’Escargot (Freshwater Prawns with Snailbutter)	Cheddar and Stout Fondue
St. Patrick's Day recipes	The future of flavor: Vanilla Shrimp Crostini	More of this, less of that
Ice Bowls	Baked Goat Cheese in Spicy Tomato Sauce	Truffle Butter
Everything really is better with bacon!	Herbed Mozzarella Bites	Chef Clendon Springer's Baked Brie with Sugar Roasted Pears and Red Fruit Compote
Sugar Pumpkin Chutney in a Paper Pumpkin Cage	Blue Cheese Walnut Dip	Pine Cone Cheese Ball
Ina Garten's Tomato Basil Elephant Ears	Bitty Bats	Chicken Spring Rolls
Warm Apple Salad with Apple Cider Peanut Dressing	Mushrooms Stuffed with Field Greens, Bacon and Cheese	Rita Heikenfeld's Gremolata
Budget Friendly Foods	Add color to your diet	Summer Citrus Salad with Creamy Yogurt Dressing
In Season: Apple Recipes	Gold Star Mini Meatloaf “Cupcakes” with Mashed Potato Icing	Berry Cabernet Pops
Pinwheel Steak Skewers	10 ways with Pesto with Susie Middleton	Mixed Grilled Beets with Orange Hazelnut Gremolata
Beef Satay with Chinese Spices and Cucumber Relish	Open Face Bean, Tuna and Arugula Grilled Sandwich	Whole Yellow Tomatoes Stuffed Caprese-Style
Eat Clean Crispy Chicken Bites	Smoked Salmon Mousse	Caprese Skewers
Spring Mix Salad with Zesty Goat Cheese Rounds	Baby Mushroom Bacon Cheese Burgers with Field Greens	Pesto Caesar Salads in Crouton Cups
Shrimp Cocktail with Bloody Mary Dipping Sauce	Olive Bites	Vodka-spiked Cherry Tomatoes with Sea Salt
Pistachio-Goat Cheese Grapes	Sausage Rolls	Benedictine Spread
Bourbon Molasses Glazed Chicken Wings	Gold Star Chili Hot Brown Bake	Chorizo-stuffed Mushrooms
Chicken stuffed Poblanos with Two Cheeses	Spicy Chicken Quesadilla	Open-faced Rye with Blue Cheese, Apple and Bacon
Cucumber and Watermelon Rolls with Feta	Chicken and Salsa Tamales	Strawberry Poppers
Sweet Potato Chips with Fried Sage	Rosemary Roast Beef Crostini	Beef Empanadillas
Garlic Shrimp	Garbanzo Bean Salad	Hungry Girl's De-Pudged Pigs in a Blanket
Bite-size Blueberry Walnut and Brie Tarts	Wild Mushroom and Goat Cheese Toasts	Potted Cheese
Fruit Flower Kabobs	Bite-size Crab Cakes	Rose's Green Salsa
Grilled Naan	Southern Shrimp Salad	Holiday Sliders
Seared Peppered Tuna with Pickled Cucumber	Chunky Guacamole	Renee Schuler's Vietnamese Vegetable Salad
Open-faced Ratatouille Sandwiches with Gruyere	Beer-Batter Shrimp	Baked Stuffed Brie
Sirloin Empanadas	Spinach Con Queso Dip	Red Pepper Cheddar Dip
Gorgonzola, Lacquered Bacon and Hendrick's Gin	Mini Ruebens in Rye Cups	Thai Chicken Salad in baked Wonton Cups
Makers Mark Hot Crab Dip	Potato Poppers	Lobster Sliders
Steak and Goat Cheese Pinwheels	Parmesan Parsnip Fingers with Chile Jam Dipping Sauce	Cayenne Cheddar Cocktail Crackers
Veggies and Dip in Shot Glasses	Oven dried Cherry Tomatoes	Goat Cheese and Oven-dried Cherry Tomato Crostini
Banderillas	Warm Rosemary Olives	Onion Straws
Loaded Mini Baked Potato Skins	Spicy Ginger Beef in Lettuce Cups	Blue Cheese-stuffed Dates
Nutty Napoleons	Linda Smith's Gazpacho	Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad
Crunchy Sesame Chicken Wings	Smoked Salmon Puff Pastry Pizza with Capers & Dill	Mexican Meatballs
Buffalo Chicken on a Stick	Loaded Mini Baked Potato Skins	Crab Rangoon with Sambal-Sesame Dipping Sauce
Sausage Rolls	Hot and Sour Soup	Lemon Cups
Asian Chicken Salad on Endive Spears

Parties

Say Cheese!	Inspired Idea: Ice Cream Balls	Hot Brown Slider with Gravy Mayo
Mary's Derby Roses with Drunken Cherries	Jon's Bourbon Brownie Pie	Jon's Blackberry Bourbon Julep
Tequila Smash	Wine-glazed Brie with Flower Petal Mosaic	Skinny Pina Colada
Peperonata with Ricotta Crostoni from Jon's Wine Bar	Raspberry Bombshell	Pears Baked in Red Wine alla Piemontese Courtesy of Barbetta Restaurant, New York, New York
Lutèce Gambas au Beurre d’Escargot (Freshwater Prawns with Snailbutter)	Caesar Salad from Keens’ Steakhouse, New York, New York	Cheddar and Stout Fondue
Champ	St. Patrick's Day recipes	Kiss me I'm Irish Cocktail
Mudslide "Cake" Cocktail	Baked Goat Cheese in Spicy Tomato Sauce	Everything really is better with bacon!
Gingerbread Cookie Martini	Chocolate Covered Peppermint Stick Martini	Carrot Cake from Chuck Hughes
Shrimp Cavatelli with Tomato Concasse, Braised Fennel, and Clam Nage	Mulled Wine	Warm Pomegranate Cider
Chocolate-covered Peppermint Martini	Herbed Mozzarella Bites	Chef Clendon Springer's Baked Brie with Sugar Roasted Pears and Red Fruit Compote
Holiday Cookie Tree Centerpiece	Peanut Butter-Toffee Cheesecake Brownies	Triple Peanut Fudge
Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge	Sugar Pumpkin Chutney in a Paper Pumpkin Cage	Turkey 101
Blue Cheese Walnut Dip	The Winemaker Cooks: A chat with Chris Hanna	Thanksgiving Dessert Buffet Ideas
"Blue Christmas" Cosmo	Pumpkin Pie Martini	Satan's Whiskers
Spooky Spiderweb Cupcakes	Gold Star Mini Meatloaf “Cupcakes” with Mashed Potato Icing	Berry Cabernet Pops
Marzipan Apples	Pinwheel Steak Skewers	Cranberry Liqueur
Raspberry ‘Limon’ Martini	Caipirinha	Pina Colada Ice Pops
Mojitos by the pitcher	Blueberry Martini Ice Pops	Watermelon Margarita
Tres Leches White Russian	Blue Ice	Smoked Salmon Mousse
Peaches in Wine	Laurie David's Vietnamese Soup in a Teapot	Ginger Peach Bellini
Baby Mushroom Bacon Cheese Burgers with Field Greens	Beer Margaritas	Gold Star Chili Hot Brown Bake
Cucumber and Watermelon Rolls with Feta	Gumdrop flowers	Derby Pie with Bourbon Whipped Cream
Chicken and Salsa Tamales	King "Cup"cakes	Mini cocktails in chocolate cups
Chocolate-dipped Cheesecake-stuffed Strawberries	Rosemary Roast Beef Crostini	Beef Empanadillas
Sangria	Garlic Shrimp	Pineapple Tarts
Hungry Girl's Magical Low-Calorie Margarita	Hungry Girl's De-Pudged Pigs in a Blanket	Bite-size Blueberry Walnut and Brie Tarts
Wild Mushroom and Goat Cheese Toasts	Potted Cheese	Fruit Flower Kabobs
Gumby Slumber Cocktail	Beef and Guinness Stew with Potato Herb Dumplings	Bite-size Crab Cakes
The Vixen	White Peach Sangria	Magic Wands
Beef Tenderloin with Horseradish Cream Sauce	Fruit Tart with Gingersnap Cookie Crust	Southern Shrimp Salad
Holiday Sliders	The Apple Cocktail	Seared Peppered Tuna with Pickled Cucumber
Caramel Apples	Macadamia Chicken with Mango Butter Sauce	Beer-Batter Shrimp
Baked Stuffed Brie	Sirloin Empanadas	Spinach Con Queso Dip
Red Pepper Cheddar Dip	Homemade Gyros	Antipasto Toss
April Shower Violette Cocktail	Easter wine pairings	Chocolate-dipped Marshmallows
Gorgonzola, Lacquered Bacon and Hendrick's Gin	Roasted Corned Beef and Cabbage	Homemade Irish Cream
Guinness Float	Mini Ruebens in Rye Cups	Chinese New Year Tradition: Dumplings and Whole Chicken
Hurricane	Thai Chicken Salad in baked Wonton Cups	Makers Mark Hot Crab Dip
Kentucky Margarita	Jim Beam Tipsy Barbecue Sauce	Steak and Goat Cheese Pinwheels
Maggy's Oreo Truffle Footballs	Cayenne Cheddar Cocktail Crackers	Veggies and Dip in Shot Glasses
Goat Cheese and Oven-dried Cherry Tomato Crostini	Lemon Drop	Banderillas
Warm Rosemary Olives	Loaded Mini Baked Potato Skins	Homemade Peppermint Schnapps
Homemade Kahlua	Halloween Cupcakes	Blue Cheese-stuffed Dates
Linda Smith's Gazpacho	Bourbon Slush	Crunchy Sesame Chicken Wings
Smoked Salmon Puff Pastry Pizza with Capers & Dill	Ghoulish Pasta	Buffalo Chicken on a Stick
Loaded Mini Baked Potato Skins	Crab Rangoon with Sambal-Sesame Dipping Sauce	Sausage Rolls
Glittering Sandwich Cookies	Lemon Cups	Asian Chicken Salad on Endive Spears
Mango Mai Tai	Watermelon Sorbet	Rita Heikenfeld's Apple, Herb and Edible Flower Jelly