Barbecue Tuna Steaks with Salad

Barbecue tuna steak served on a bed of salad with sides of barbecued Desiree potatoes and haloumi cheese is a great entertaining dish that really impresses the visitors. A little more preparation than usual is required as tuna steaks cook very quickly on the barbecue. Everything must be readied in advance prior to commencing cooking.

Ingredients:

• 3 medium tuna steak (to serve 3)
• 6 Desiree potatoes
• Small serve of mixed lettuce leaves
• Cherry tomatoes
• Aoli
• 1 piece of Haloumi Cheese
• 3 Limes
  

Preparation:

Potatoes

• Wash potatoes and cut them in to thirds. Then par boil in a little water.
• When done, drain the potatoes and leave them to one side.

Salad

• Mix your favourite greens, chopped cucumber and halved cherry tomatoes in a bowl and toss. Then serve the salad on each plate ready for the cooked tuna to be placed on top later.
• Do not put dressing on yet.

Limes

• Cut limes in to halves and place to one side.
  

Haloumi cheese

• Slice the block of haloumi cheese in to six generous pieces.
  

Method:

• Start by placing the cut potatoes on to the barbecue plate. Turning occasionally (but not too often), remembering they are likely soft due to the par boiling. The idea is the lightly brown all sides.
• Finish cooking the potatoes then remove from direct heat placing them to one side on the barbecue so that they remain warm (but do not cook further).
• If required, roughly scrape the hot plate of the potato to prepare it for the tuna steaks.
• Use two teaspoons of olive oil on the hot plate and allow it to heat up. Them carefully place your tuna steaks on the hot plate.
• Tuna will cook quickly. Allow the tuna to cook for 1 minute on each side. It should still be pink in the middle.
• After the first minute, turn the tuna over, then quickly add the haloumi cheese pieces to the barbecue plate. The cheese will brown very quickly, so it is important to keep it moving around. All sides will cook in the minute it takes to cook the second side of the tuna steaks.
• Squeeze a lime half over each steak just prior to removing from the grill. Then allow the tuna to sit for for 1 minute to relax the tuna meat.
  Remove the haloumi cheese once browned and place directly on to the plate to the side of the salad.
  

Serving:

• Place a tuna steak on top of the salad which was previously added to each plate.
• Place barbecued potatoes and cut limes around the tuna steak.
• Drizzle 2 teaspoons of aoli on to each plate across the salad and potatoes
• Add ground pepper to taste.

Notes:

• Tuna steaks are cooked to perfection when they are still a little pink in the middle. For those who are a little squeamish, allowing the steaks to remain on the hot plate for another 30 seconds per side will cook the tuna steaks all the way through. Warning, they will be a little rubbery if cooked all the way through.