A Gift of Fish (Limoncello Grilled Tuna)

My sister sent me home with a cache of frozen fish and with about a pound and a half each of fresh yellow fin tuna and her own pecan-smoked tuna.

Delta Airlines got me home too late to cook Tuesday night, but Wednesday night I grilled the fresh tuna in a limoncello marinade. It was fresh and tasty and made me think of summer in Italy. I served it with a couscous tabouli-like salad.

Limoncello Tuna

Serves 4-6

Finely chopped zest of a whole lemon
1/4 cup limoncello (Italian lemon spirit)
Juice of one large lemon
1/4 cup good quality extra virgin olive oil. Use one with a green and peppery bite if you have it. (I used a Portuguese oil.)
1/2 teaspoon dried herbes d'provence (optional)
fresh ground pepper and sea salt to taste
1 and 1/2 pounds fresh tuna or other firm fleshed fish (halibut would work nicely. PLEASE don't use Chilean Sea Bass or other endangered fish).


Combine all ingredients except the fish and mix well. Add fish and spoon marinade on top. Marinate for about a half hour, flipping the fish occasionally in the liquid.

Preheat grill, bbq or broiler and cook fish, basting with marinade, until done as desired. Note: the tuna will keep cooking after you pull it from the grill and well done tuna is extremely firm, so pull it a bit before you think it is ready.

Couscous Salad with Veggies

Serves 4-6

This is more a process than a recipe.

Cook 1 cup couscous according the package directions. (FYI - I used whole wheat for a bit more fiber)

While the couscous is cooking chop the vegetables. I used the following, feel free to improvise depending on your own tastes or what's in your fridge:

3-4 chopped scallions (green onions), white and most of green
2-3 chopped, ripe tomatoes
1/2 chopped, peeled large cucumber
1/2 chopped red bell pepper
2-3 tablespoons chopped mint
2-3 tablespoons chopped flat leaf (Italian) parsley
2-3 tablespoons chopped cilantro

White wine vinegar
Extra virgin olive oil (select a mild and fresh tasting oil, I used a French Provencal oil)
Freshly ground pepper and salt to taste

When the couscous is done cooking, break up any clumps. Mix in the vegetables and herbs. Add splashes of vinegar and oil until you have the flavor balance you like. The warm couscous will absorb much of the liquids. Add salt and pepper. Combine well. Let rest to serve at room temperature. (Or you can chill and let it warm up a bit before serving.)