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I decided to try this combination because I found this adorable organic Sweet Dumpling Squash at Lassen's. You can easily substitute whatever winter squash you find, just so it's one with sweet, orange flesh, like a butternut. I wasn't sure what to pair it with until I came upon some albacore this weekend. That with a little Forbidden Rice* seemed like a tempting combination. The salty, savory, lightly spiced sesame tuna with the sweet of the squash and the mellow, inky rice is a really wonderful blend.
Ingredients:
Fresh Albacore Tuna Steaks (1 per person)
Forbidden (Black) Rice* **See silly aside at the end
Organic Sweet Dumpling Squash (1/2-1 per person)
Olive Oil
Sea Salt
Paprika
Gomasio*
Cayenne Flakes
Black Pepper
Butter (optional)
Truffle or Porcini Infused Oil (optional)
Preheat your over to 400*. The rice and the squash take almost the same amount of time so it's good to start them together. You also want to let the rice sit with a towel over it before serving and while that happens the squash will be finishing in the oven.
Get your rice ingredients together (rice, olive oil, sea salt) and prep the squash. Cut each squash in half lengthwise if you want to have smaller portions for more people or horizontally if you want each person to have a whole small squash. Clean out the seeds and stringy pulp with a spoon or your hand as you would a pumpkin. Rinse the squash, pat dry, put in a baking pan and pour olive oil on each cut side. Put the squash in the oven and set a timer for 30 minutes.
Put the forbidden (or black) rice on to cook. Follow the instructions and after the rice is done to the consistency you like, take a fresh kitchen towel, stretch it over the top of the pot and put the lid back on. Leave for at least 10 minutes. When you are ready you will then use a fork to fluff the rice grains.
Rinse your albacore steaks and pat them dry. Put them in a covered, oven-safe roasting pan. Pour olive oil over them then sprinkle with * Gomasio seasoning, black pepper, paprika and a few cayenne flakes and a hint of truffle or porcini infused oil. Turn each steak and distribute the seasonings by rubbing the mixture on all sides.
Put the albacore in the oven with the squash approximately 20 minutes into the cooking of the squash. Cook the tuna steaks for 5 minutes then take them out, turn them over and cook another 5. Let them sit for about 5 minutes while you are stuffing the squash. You want the albacore to turn white but be careful not to overcook.
Remove the squash from the oven when the interior orange flesh has turned soft.
Before serving, put a small pat of butter (optional) in each squash half then stuff the squash with the forbidden rice. Salt lightly with ground sea salt. Put an albacore steak on the plate and use a little more Gomasio to season.
Use your fork to flake off pieces of albacore and to scoop out pieces of squash combined with rice.
Enjoy!
** But why is the rice forbidden? Is it one of the reasons listed in Wikipedia? Was it reserved for Emperors? Banned by the Greeks? or just some smart marketing scheme?
I inadvertently discovered the real reason tonight as I went to 'fluff' the rice and it flew out of the pot. It landed on the seat of a white chair, my kitchen towel, my stove and myself. And, the untold secret is that this saturated, deep blackberry purple rice does not come out of fabrics -- at least I've not yet discovered the secret. Perhaps that too is forbidden? Well it's still lovely and I will still use it but I will forever more fluff with caution!
