Grilled Lemon-Marinated Tuna with Cherry Tomato Splat

Lemon-marinated and grilled tuna steaks served with a fiery-chile spiced fresh cherry tomato salsa—mashing the tomatoes will cause a few to 'splat'!

Recipe Ingredients:

Tuna:
4 fresh rosemary sprigs, each about 4-inches long
3 pounds center-cut tuna, cut into 6 slices about 2 inches thick
1/2 cup pure olive oil
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

The Splat (Salsa):
1 lemon
2 fresh rosemary sprigs, each about 4 inches long
1 clove garlic, sliced paper thin
2 teaspoons finely minced fresh red hot pepper, such as Thai or jalapeño (or to taste)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 pounds cherry tomatoes, skins removed

Cooking Directions:

1. Prepare the tuna: Remove the leaves from the rosemary sprigs. In a shallow bowl, marinate the sliced tuna with the rosemary leaves, olive oil, and lemon zest and juice for about 1 hour.
2. Make the splat: Preheat an oven to 500°F (260°C). Peel the zest from the lemon, using a vegetable peeler, and finely julienne. Juice the lemon. Combine the lemon zest and juice, rosemary, garlic, hot pepper, salt and oil in a heatproof bowl. Place the tomatoes on a baking sheet or jelly roll pan and roast for 12 minutes. Immediately place the roasted tomatoes into the heat-proof bowl. Smash them with a fork (some of the tomatoes will splash and splat) and incorporate with the other ingredients. The intense heat of the roasted tomatoes will cook the other ingredients.
3. Start a fire in a grill. Grill the tuna for 2 minutes on each side. It should be pink, not rare, in the center. Serve immediately with the tomato splat.

Makes 6 servings.