BRAISED TUNA À VILÃO, LUPINE BEAN AND FENNEL

by chef Luis Pestana of Belmond Reid’s Palace

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

400 g tuna, cut in 100 g stick batons

olive oil for braising

fresh oregano or dry oregano to taste

salt

salt flower

Maize

1 C water

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1 branch savoury herb

olive oil

25 g Portuguese cabbage, cut very thinly

50 g corn flour

salt

frying oil

Sauce

50 ml olive oil

200 g onion

5 g garlic

200 ml white wine

white wine vinegar, to taste

400 g tomato

50 g tomato paste

xanthan, clear

salt

Fennel purée

200 g fennel

olive oil

xanthan, clear

salt

Lupine beans

150 g lupine beans

olive oil

40 g shallot onions

25 g red pepper, peeled

25 g green pepper, peeled

10 g coriander

salt

Green olive oil

olive oil

parsley

Garnish

crunchy raw fennel

micro fennel herb or another micro herb

colourful micro flower

METHOD

Maize

1. In a saucepan, heat 150 ml water, garlic, olive oil, the savoury.
2. When it boils, add the corn flour in the remaining 100 ml of water, stirring constantly so as not to create lumps. When it comes back to the boil, add the chopped cabbage.
3. Stirring as soon as it comes back to a boil, lower the heat and cook for an hour, stirring regularly.
4. Check the salt seasoning to taste, remove the savoury branch and place the cooked mixture in a container that allows the height of 2.5 cm of cooked corn.
5. Allow to solidify, preferably overnight, in the refrigerator.
6. Cut into cubes of 2.5 cm and fry in oil at about 180°C.
7. Serve 3 units per plate.

Sauce

1. In a saucepan, cook the onion and garlic in olive oil, cool with white wine and a little vinegar and let it sauté.
2. Add the cut tomato and tomato paste and let it simmer for 20 minutes.
3. Pass the mixture through a double mesh strainer. Check the broth, adding vinegar and salt if necessary. Add a pinch of xanthan to make a slight broth consistency. Serve hot.

Fennel purée

1. Cook the fennel in water, oil and a little salt. Mash the mixture and pass it through a strainer.
2. Add a pinch of xanthan to rectify the consistency and correct the seasoning if necessary.
3. Put it in a piping bag and make three dots on the plate, slightly larger than marbles.

Lupine beans

1. Peel the pre-cooked lupine beans.
2. Sauté the diced shallot and peppers in olive oil.
3. Add the lupine beans, check the seasoning and finally add the chopped coriander.
4. Serve making a bed in the centre of the dish, to place the tuna over.

Green olive oil

Grind a little olive oil with parsley leaves, then pass the mixture through a double mesh strainer and drip onto the plate, over the sauce.

Tuna fish

1. At the end of the dish, season the tuna with a little salt and braise with a little olive oil, like tataki.
2. Add fresh or dried oregano leaves, cut the ends of the tuna, sprinkle with a little salt flower and serve.

Garnish

1. Place the fennel in cold water, then place a mini slice of raw and crunchy fennel on each dot of purée.
2. Garnish each dot with fennel herb and a micro flower over the tuna.