I made this for our anniversary. My wife and I both love seafood. For me it’s been a lifelong love. For her, it’s a more recent affair. Since she hasn’t had nearly the experience with swimming animals, I always try to make sure any seafood dish I fix is one that will tantalize her interests.
This one has so many different levels of flavor that it would be hard not to.
For the pasta salad;
Boiled shrimp:
Zatarans powdered seafood boil
Zatarans liquid seafood boil- just a cap
The shrimp will boil for a few minutes and then we will kill the heat and add enough ice to the water to stop the cooling process. The rapid cooling will force the shrimp to suck up the seasoning.
*this shock is secret to Cajun seafood boils.
Peel the shrimp and set aside
Salad contents:
Pasta of your choice – I’m using rotini here
Diced hearts of palm
Sliced artichoke heart
Finely diced red onion or shallot
Diced Red bell pepper
Shrimp from the boil
Basil chiffonade
Garlic A minced and paste
Crushed red pepper and a dash of cayenne
Feta cheese
Shredded parmigiana
Dressing
GOOD olive oil
Red wine vinegar
Lemon juice
Cayenne pepper
Salt
Pepper
Small amount of mustard
Sometimes I’ll add in some zesty Italian dressing also
Add all to a bowl and whisk vigorously. The mustard will emulsify it.
Add all contents together and set in fridge to cool. Save some of the dressing for the tuna
Tuna.
Season the tuna well with a mixture of: crushed red pepper, salt, pepper, garlic powder, cayenne and paprika.
Brush with some do the dressing and let it sit for 15-20 minutes.
Get skillet hot and add in butter and olive oil.
Let tuna sear for 2-3 minutes per side (depending on thickness)
Garnish with basil chiffonade