Ingredients
Tuna and Eggplant:
- 2 tuna collars (about 1 pound total)
- 1 large eggplant or a few small eggplants, sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil, such as avocado or grapeseed
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Spicy Tomatillo-Miso Glaze:
- 1 cup tomatillos (about 4 medium), husked and quartered
- 1 yuzu, juiced, plus 1 caviar lime, pulp scooped out, OR juice of 1 regular lime
- 1 tablespoon white miso paste
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 jalapeno, stemmed and roughly chopped (seeds in for more heat)
- 1/2 tablespoon honey
For Serving:
- Cooked white rice
- Perilla leaves (or Thai basil), torn
- Green onions, thinly sliced
- Cucamelons, halved, or cucumber, diced
Instructions
Make the Glaze:
- Add the quartered tomatillos, yuzu juice and caviar lime pulp (or regular lime juice), miso paste, fish sauce, jalapeno, and honey to a blender. Blend on high for 30 to 45 seconds until completely smooth and the color turns a vibrant, pale green. Taste and adjust seasoning — it should be bright, tangy, salty, and just sweet enough to round out the heat. Set aside.
Sear the Tuna and Eggplant:
- Preheat your oven to 375°F. Pat the tuna collars dry with paper towels and season generously on all sides with kosher salt and black pepper. Season the eggplant rounds the same way.
- Heat the oil in a large cast iron skillet over high heat until the oil shimmers and just barely begins to smoke. Lay the tuna collars skin-side down in the pan and arrange the eggplant rounds in a single layer around them. Sear without moving for about 3 minutes, until the bottoms develop a deep golden-brown crust and the edges of the tuna turn opaque. Flip everything carefully — the eggplant should have caramelized, dark-amber spots and the tuna skin should be crisp and pulling away slightly.
Glaze and Bake:
- Pour the tomatillo glaze evenly over the tuna collars and eggplant rounds in the skillet. You will hear it sizzle and bubble as it hits the hot pan. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake at 375°F for 10 to 15 minutes, until the tuna is cooked through and flakes easily when nudged with a fork and the eggplant is completely tender and collapsing slightly at the edges.
- For the last minute or two, switch the oven to broil and watch carefully. The glaze should caramelize into a sticky, glossy, slightly charred shellac across the tops of the collars and eggplant. Pull the skillet as soon as you see the edges begin to darken and blister — this happens fast under a broiler, so do not walk away.
- Spoon fluffy white rice onto plates. Nestle the tuna collars and glazed eggplant rounds on top, drizzling any remaining sauce from the skillet over everything. Scatter torn perilla leaves, sliced green onions, and halved cucamelons generously over the top. Serve immediately while the glaze is still warm and glossy.