Seafood madness

“Fish in the hands of a skilled cook can become an inexhaustible source of gustatory pleasures.”
Jean-Antheleme Brillat-Savarin ‘The Physiology of Taste’ (1825)

It's always a good time to talk about seafood. The weather has been so nice these days in Milan, so what better way to spend a Saturday morning than wandering around the quarter's market? And suddenly, there it is: the fish stand!


Wonderful view, funny smell. What will we choose? shrimps, oysters, tuna, salmon... all looks good!
I must say I have a thing for tuna: raw, sashimi, seared, even canned!

Here's my favorite version:

Sesame Seared Tuna with mint sauce 
(serves 2)
2 tuna steaks
1/2 cup sesame seeds
fresh mint leaves
4 teaspoons of coarse salt
2 teaspoons of whole black peppercorns
2 teaspoons of whole white peppercorns
2 teaspoons of whole red peppercorns
1/2 garlic clove (peeled)
fresh ground black pepper
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
songino salad (lamb's lettuce)
(optional) 1 carrot julienne
Wash the mint leaves and put them in the mixer together with the garlic clove 4/5 tablespoons of olive oil and some ground black pepper. Mix and add oil until you get the desired thickness.

Prepare the plates: put some songino salad on a side of each plate, (add some julienne carrot) spray some oil and vinegar over it. On the other side of each plate pour some mint sauce, decorate with a spoon of coarse salt on a side.

Coat the tuna steaks with olive oil, then press into the sesame seeds to coat. Heat olive a pan over high heat until very hot. Place steaks in the pan, and sear for about 30 seconds on each side. Serve the steaks over the songino and pour some mint sauce on top.
Wine advise: Franciacorta spumante or Sauvignon Blanc from Trentino. Enjoy!