Tuna Timbale Tower Recipes

BBQ TOWER

Steps:

• In a large baking dish, arrange the chicken in a single layer and sprinkle with the BBQ seasoning. Toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate overnight or up to 24 hours.
• When ready to cook, position the oven racks in the top and bottom levels. Clip 2 medium metal binder clips 12 to 14 inches apart in the center of the top rack of the oven, positioning them so that the clips are facing each other and the handles of the binder clips are hanging downwards. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Heat a small cast-iron skillet on the stove until searing hot. Add 2 cups dry cherry wood chips to the skillet and let the chips start to smolder and smoke.
• Remove the baking dish with the chicken from the refrigerator and drizzle the stock and olive oil over the chicken.
• Leaving the kielbasa connected in links, lightly prick each link with a skewer or the tip of a sharp knife. Drape the kielbasa links over a 16-inch-long, 1/4-inch-thick wooden dowel.
• Place the baking dish in the center of the bottom rack of the oven, directly underneath the binder clips. On the top rack, carefully slide the ends of the dowel through the handles of the binder clips so that the sausages are hanging above the baking dish. Note: You can also lay the sausages directly on the top oven rack, in the center.
• Place the skillet with the smoking wood chips on the bottom rack next to the baking dish.
• Bake until the chicken is very tender, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove the sausage and the chicken from the oven. Use two forks to shred the chicken, and taste for seasoning. Transfer to a large bowl and drizzle with the remaining juices in the baking dish. Slice the kielbasa on the bias into 1-inch-thick pieces and transfer to a bowl.
• Build the meat tower with the chicken, kielbasa, BBQ sauce, corn, sweet rolls, pickles and your other favorite BBQ sides.

TUNA TARTARE (IN HOMAGE TO MORTON'S STEAKHOUSE!

Steps:

• Cube the well-chilled Tuna into 1/2 inch cubes. Place into a clean bowl.
• Drizzle lightly with olive oil, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper to taste, gently stir well, coating all the cubes with the oil, and refrigerate. You will season each component (bowl) individually, so BE VERY CAREFUL NOT TO OVER SALT/Season.
• Dice the tomatoes into a similar sized cut, place into another bowl, DRAIN OFF the excess juice. Drizzle lightly with olive oil, salt and pepper to taste, gently stir well, coating all the cubes with the oil, and refrigerate.
• Score the Avocado in half (the long way). Spin the two halves to gently separate them. Remove the pit. Cube the Avocado, in the skin, by gently, carefully, scoring (horizontally, and vertically) into cubes--- approximating the sizes of the tuna, and the tomatoes.
• Using a spoon, gently scoop the cubed avocado from the skin, and place into another bowl. Drizzle lightly with olive oil, salt and pepper to taste, gently stir well, coating all the cubes with the oil, and refrigerate.
• Remove the bowls from the fridge.
• Gently toss the fish with the lime juice, and/or vinegar.
• On your surface, place some wax paper, or butcher paper beneath your vertical food mold.
• Starting with the tomatoes, fill the mold with equal parts of each bowl's contents, one third of the way, with each item. Gently press down between layers. Then avocado, THEN TOP with the tuna.
• NOTE: If you do not have molds, use matching "Rocks" glasses, or similar, to shape the dish's presentation ("Timbale" shaped).
• Put your, CHILLED, plates onto your work surface, OPTIONAL: You can lightly drizzle, or swirl some sort of design onto the whole plate (using Sriracha sauce), and then lay a bed of COLD, chopped, cilantro in the center of each plate--- leaving about a one-inch border of the edge of the plate clear.
• GENTLY lift your mold, AND PAPER, and quickly center it onto the mound of Cilantro--- gently sliding the paper AS YOU PLATE the mold, so that the paper is removed.
• Gently tamp down the layers with the back of a wooden spoon, or with fingertips--- to, TENDERLY, firm the mold.
• Let it SIT for three to five minutes, and gently remove the mold from the dish, leaving the tuna, avocado, and tomato timbale standing firmly in place.
• Grind some more black pepper, and sprinkle it lightly onto the top of the timbale.
• OPTIONAL: You may ALSO add a few capers, or some chopped black olives as a garnish--- on the top of the timbale. You may also sprinkle some around the edge/border of the plates.
• It would be excellent to offer wedges of lemon, and/or, lime for squeezes.
• OPTIONAL: Dollop of LIGHT SOUR CREAM onto each plate.
• SERVE with Baguette slices, mini Croissants, or Water Crackers, and glasses of a well-chilled Sancerre, Chardonnay, Riesling, or Gewürztraminer.

COUSCOUS TUNA TOWER

Steps:

• In a small skillet, saute onion in oil until tender. Add couscous; saute 1-2 minutes longer or until couscous is lightly browned. Add water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 8 minutes. Cool slightly., In a large bowl, combine the couscous mixture, tuna, parsley, capers, olives, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and pepper; set aside., Pour vinaigrette over endive; toss to coat. On each of eight serving plates, layer a red tomato slice, a yellow tomato slice, 1/2 cup couscous mixture and 1/4 cup endive leaves.