Pepper Crusted Tuna Steak & lemon butter sauce

Delicious warmth from the pepper, light tang from the lemon, rich juices from the butter - perfect with chips and a green veg

Pepper Crusted Tuna Steak & Lemon Butter Sauce

A favourite weeknight treat, quick to get on the table. I usually serve it with oven-cooked thick chips and a simple vegetable such as lightly cooked green beans or sprouting broccoli. The lemon and butter combine with the juices from the meaty tuna to make a lovely tangy sauce, and the peppercorns give a mild warmth, not too hot.  Tuna is an expensive food, I know, but there is no waste. If there's any left over, you can use it the next day to top a salad or flake into a sandwich with some mayo.
 
Serves 4               Timings:  30 minutes

• 600g tuna steak, medium cut
• 20g whole black peppercorns
• Juice of two lemons
• 30g butter

 
Get the tuna out of the fridge about half an hour before cooking.

In a pestle and mortar, grind the peppercorns coarsely. You could use a spice grinder but be careful, you are looking for a gritty texture rather than finely ground.

Coat the tuna steaks evenly in the ground gritty pepper and leave to set for 10 minutes.

Heat your deep frying pan and use a little oil. Fry the tuna steaks for about 5 minutes per side, depending on the thickness and how you like your fish done. You can poke the steaks with a sharp knife to see how done they are – they will cook a little more as you make the sauce so have them a little under rather than a little overdone to keep them juicy.

When you are nearly done, add the butter and let it foam up, then add the lemon juice. Swirl the pan to coat the steaks and serve straight away.