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Poached Tuna with Warm Squash, Corn, and Potato Salad

September 20, 2012

Poached Tuna with Warm Squash, Corn, and Potato Salad

You're going to think I'm lazy. And you're right.

I like olive oil, I like vegetables, and I like warm salads. So when I'm not feeling particularly inventive or energetic, I like to throw them all together in a single dish. Vegetables get roasted. Fish gets poached in oil (an old stand-by for me). A squeeze of lemon and a dried chile come in to give everything a kick in the pants. And I have a comforting dinner on the table without much thought or effort.

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We like our summer produce at Food52 -- Want us to send you another corn newsletter? Watch out, or we will! -- so I had to get just one more blast of corn and squash in under the wire. Then, soon, I'll behave and start cozying up to apples and cabbage. If I have to.

Here's how I got it done:

The ingredients Slicing Squash

Cutting corn Ready for roasting

Seasoning the tuna Dousing with olive oil

Slicing shallot Half-cooked tuna

Start with the potatoes Adding the roasted corn and squash, and fresh shallot

Time for the tuna! Dressing with the tuna oil

Poached Tuna with Warm Squash, Corn, and Potato Salad

Serves 4

  • 4 ears of corn, kernels cut from the cobs
  • Salt
  • Good olive oil
  • 3 medium yellow squash or zucchini, trimmed and each cut lengthwise into 6 wedges
  • 2 medium white potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 1 pound tuna, cut 1-inch thick (probably 2 pieces)
  • 6 sprigs thyme
  • 2 garlic cloves, lightly crushed
  • 1 dried chile
  • 1 small shallot, thinly sliced
  • 1 lemon, cut into 4 quarters

See the recipe (and save and print it) here.

Photos by James Ransom

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A New Way to Dinner, co-authored by Food52's founders Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs, is an indispensable playbook for stress-free meal-planning (hint: cook foundational dishes on the weekend and mix and match ‘em through the week).

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  • fhp
    fhp
  • saltandserenity
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Amanda Hesser

Written by: Amanda Hesser

Before starting Food52 with Merrill, I was a food writer and editor at the New York Times. I've written several books, including "Cooking for Mr. Latte" and "The Essential New York Times Cookbook." I played myself in "Julie & Julia" -- hope you didn't blink, or you may have missed the scene! I live in Brooklyn with my husband, Tad, and twins, Walker and Addison.

5 Comments

fhp September 26, 2012
I was a little intimidated to try out this poaching method until I found some Ahi at Costco. Everyone thought it was delicious. I had some leftover and so I made a simple sauce of mashed garlic and pepperoncino plus the juice of one lemon + fresh mint . Combined it with the (crumbled) poached tuna. Mixed it with some Fusilli. My Roman husband wants it again.
Oh and I incorporated the rest of the herby oil into the pasta. Beautiful.
 
Amanda H. September 26, 2012
Glad you used the oil -- and love the pasta idea. Wish I'd thought of it myself!
 
saltandserenity September 23, 2012
I never met a corn recipe I didn't love! Keep em coming!
 
Bob Y. September 20, 2012
What should the internal temp for the poached tuna when done? Thanks in advance.
 
Amanda H. September 21, 2012
I didn't take the temperature, I just cooked it until it was barely pink in the center (see the finished dish photo above -- hopefully you can see what I mean). You could leave it more rare if you like, as well.