IN this month's Cooking Corner we are going to prepare Peppered Tuna presented with a variety of caramelised vegetables. This recipe will serve four. You can use any type of stronger-flavoured fish in this recipe instead of the tuna. The baby eggplant I have used in this recipe does not require sprinkling with salt to remove any bitterness. The leeks will need to be cut in half, lengthwise, and washed well to remove any grit from between the layers of the leek. Try using a variety of red and yellow capsicum to add a rainbow of colour to the finished recipe.

The Tuna
4 slices tuna, about 150g each
quantity of cracked pink peppercorns
Bertolli olive oil
The Caramelised Vegetables
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
150ml water
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 zucchini, sliced
2 baby eggplants, sliced
1 leek, finely sliced
6 shallots, sliced into 2cm lengths
1 cup diced capsicum
freshly ground salt and pepper

TO PREPARE VEGETABLES
Heat a non-stick frypan over a medium heat. Add the sugar to the pan and allow to caramelise. (Heating the sugar over a medium heat, as opposed to a high heat, obviously takes a little longer, but I feel it gives you better control over the browning of the sugar.)
Add the vinegar to the caramelised sugar (take care because the sugar will spit) and stir. Allow the vinegar to reduce a little before adding the water and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Bring to the boil and remove from the heat. Place to one side.
In another frypan, add the rest of the olive oil. Cook the garlic and the vegetables until they are softened, tossing them as they cook. Add the caramel to the pan and toss with the vegetables until they are well coated. Keep the vegetables warm while you prepare the fish.

TO PREPARE FISH
Season the tuna pieces on both sides with cracked pepper. Heat a little olive oil in a heavy-based frypan until the oil is nearly smoking. Add the tuna to the pan and sear on both sides. The tuna should still be pink in the middle.

TO SERVE
To serve, lay a bed of caramelised vegetables on the serving plate and place the tuna, overlapping slightly, on top.
I recommend serving Peppered Tuna with a bottle of Miranda White Pointer. A blend of chenin blanc and muscat grapes, this wine has clean, crisp flavours that partner well with the tuna. An interesting point: when your wine is at the correct drinking temperature, a White Pointer will appear on the label.
The seafood in this article was supplied by Sams Seafood, Hamilton.