Peppercorn Tuna

After skipping lunch today because of work demands and not-much-in-the-pantry syndrome, I was ready for a really quality dinner. The wife and I picked up some 10 oz ahi tuna steaks from CostCo while grocery shopping, and I cooked one of my favorite fish recipes--cracked peppercorn tuna (recipe below).

To go along with the tuna, I steamed some broccoli (a bit overdone, I'm afraid) and cooked some rice.

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Cracked Peppercorn Tuna

2 8-10 oz Ahi Tuna Steaks
3 Tablespoons whole black peppercorns
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 Tablespoons safflower oil

1. Season the tuna steaks with the salt and cayenne pepper. (Season to taste--the teaspoon measure is just a guideline.)

2. In a medium skillet, heat the safflower oil over medium-high heat (olive oil can be substituted, but it has a much lower smoke point, so you'll have to pay attention to the heat). Once the oil is hot, put the peppercorns in and stir occasionally til they pop, about 4 minutes.

3. Put the tuna steaks on top of the peppercorns in the skillet. Cook until the steaks are medium-well (about 5 minutes each side). An easy way to tell when the steaks are done is when the tuna turns flaky all the way through.

4. I prefer to eat the tuna with the peppercorns on the fish, but some of my friends have said it's too peppery, so I guess you can scrape them off if you find it too spicy.