Seared Tuna & Ajo Blanco Recipe

Soak bread

Tear the stale bread into small pieces and place in a small bowl. Pour 60 ml of the cold water over the bread and let it soak for 5–10 minutes until softened.

Blend almonds and garlic

In a blender or food processor, combine the blanched almonds and the garlic (use 1 small clove or 1/2 large clove depending on your tolerance). Pulse until the almonds are finely ground and resemble coarse sand.

Incorporate bread

Add the softened bread (squeeze out excess water before adding) to the blender with the ground almonds. Pulse to combine into a thick paste.

Emulsify

With the blender running on low, slowly drizzle in 2 tbs of the olive oil to begin emulsifying. Add the remaining 240 ml cold water in a slow steady stream until the mixture becomes a smooth, creamy soup. If the texture is too thick, add up to an additional 30–60 ml water to reach a velvety, pourable consistency.

Season & chill

Add the sherry vinegar and 1 tsp fine sea salt. Blend briefly to incorporate. Taste and adjust salt or vinegar as needed. Stir in the ice cubes and blend one quick pulse to chill the soup, then remove the ice cubes. Transfer the ajo blanco to a covered container and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (can be made up to 24 hours ahead).

Garnish prep

If using garnish almonds, very lightly toast the whole almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat for 1–2 minutes until aromatic (watch carefully). Thinly slice cucumber or halve green grapes and chill until serving.

Prep tuna

Pat the tuna loin dry with paper towels. Trim any sinew. Cut into 4 equal portions (about 100 g each) or leave whole and slice after searing if preferred. Lightly brush each piece with 1 tbs olive oil and season all sides with the 1 tsp fine sea salt and the 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper. Press sesame seeds onto the outside of the tuna if using, covering one or both long faces.

Heat pan

Heat a heavy skillet or cast-iron pan over high heat until very hot, about 2–3 minutes. The pan should be smoking slightly for a quick sear.

Sear tuna

Add a thin film of neutral oil or wipe the pan with the remaining olive oil. Place each tuna portion in the pan and sear for 30–45 seconds per side for rare (bright red center). For medium-rare, sear 60–75 seconds per side. If tuna pieces are thicker than 2.5 cm (1 inch), sear edges briefly to color. Avoid overcooking — tuna is best served rare to medium-rare.

Rest and slice

Transfer seared tuna to a cutting board and let rest for 1–2 minutes. Slice thinly against the grain into 5–8 slices per portion if you left it whole, or leave as steaks if you pre-cut.

Plate the ajo blanco

Ladle 150 ml of cold ajo blanco into shallow bowls or on appetizer plates to form a smooth base (adjust amount to taste).

Arrange tuna

Fan 4–6 slices of seared tuna over the center of each bowl of ajo blanco (or place one seared steak atop the soup).

Garnish and season

Scatter the toasted whole almonds and sliced grapes or cucumber around the tuna. Drizzle each plate with 1/2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil, sprinkle microgreens or chopped chives, and finish with a pinch of flaky sea salt and a crack of black pepper to taste. Serve immediately with lemon or lime wedges on the side.

Serving note

This dish is best served chilled (ajo blanco) with warm, barely-seared tuna for contrast. If making ahead, keep the soup chilled and sear the tuna just before plating so it remains rare and vibrant.