The Ingredients:
Serves 8- ¼ cup plus 2 tbsp. extra-virgin
- olive oil
- ¾ cup (about 4 oz.) kalamata olives, pitted and roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp. capers, chopped if large
- 8 plum tomatoes, chopped into ½-inch dice (4 cups total)
- 5 sprigs thyme
- 4 12- to 14-oz. tuna steaks, 1 inch thick
- 2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Place a wide, heavy-bottomed pan over high heat. Add ¼ cup of the olive oil, the olives, capers, tomatoes and thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally, until a thickish sauce is formed but the tomatoes still retain their shape, about 5 minutes. Transfer the sauce to the edges of your serving platter, and wipe the pan clean with a paper towel. Place the pan back over high heat. While it's heating, rub the tuna steaks with the remaining olive oil and the pepper. When the pan is smoking hot, place the tuna steaks in it in a single layer (in two batches if necessary). Cook the tuna for about 3 minutes, until it turns white halfway up the sides. Flip and cook until just a tiny bit of pink remains on all sides, another 2 minutes or so (for medium rare). Slice the tuna on a cutting board into ¼-inch slices. Arrange in the center of the serving platter.
