Tuna with Roasted Cipolline Onions

This is my most favorite recipe of all times!  I've always had the best of luck with recipes I've tried from Giada De Laurentiis and this is no exception!  This dish isn't looking pretty in my pictures but I assure you the flavor is incredible, restaurant worthy even!  And it could be prettier for the camera if I took the onions out of the oven earlier, therefor making the sauce thinner rather than a glaze as I prefer it.  Taste of course wins over pretty!

As usual I do make some changes, but mostly in amounts of ingredients that I use. I'll post the recipe as is and leave you my notes of what I change for myself.

Pre heat the oven to  450 degrees.  Gather your ingredients and then bring a pot of water to boil.  Add the onions, cook for 2 minutes then drain and cool.

Cut off the root end of the onion and peel.

Now to the onions in their baking dish add the vinegar, oil, salt and pepper and mix together.

Roast on the lowest shelf of your oven until the onions are tender and golden, stirring occasionally, 45mins. to an hour. The longer you roast these, the thicker the glaze will be.  About 3o minutes before your onions will be done roasting,   mix the 1/3 cup oil, lemon juice, thyme, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper in another  dish.

Place the tuna steaks in the marinade and turn to coat.  Let stand for 5 minutes on each side.

Sadly, I used up all of my fresh thyme over the holidays and had to use dried. This was not a good substitute, you really want fresh thyme for this dish.

Oil the rack and set the grill for medium-high heat. Grill the steaks to desired doneness, about 3 minutes per side for medium.

Spoon the onion mixture over the steaks and serve!

Ok so here are my changes.  First off and most important to note, I double the recipe for the balsamic reduction and only use an 8 oz. bag of these onions, which is perfect for the three of us and would actually make 2 adult and 2 children size servings using only 3 Tuna Steaks.  You may also substitute pearl onions or red onions, heck probably any onion!  As I said earlier, we love this reduction so we really pile it on!  This balsamic reduction with the onions would also be delicious served over other fish, or most any other Meat.  Be sure to stir the onions often, I do it about every 15 mins.   This will really let you get a feel for how thick the sauce is getting so you can remove them when it hits your desired consistency.

I'm sorry I didn't get better pictures of the finished product, but I promise you that if you try this dish you won't be disappointed.  You'll probably make adjustments as I have but won't be disappointed.  I call this company fare because it taste like something you would get at a fine dining establishment.  And even though it seems like it could be a bit pricey, it's way cheaper than ordering a pizza! With that in mind....here is the original recipe for you to tweek to your hearts content!

Recipe: Tuna with Roasted Cipolline Onions

Recipe adopted from Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients

• 2 pounds cipolline onions
  2/3 cup balsamic vinegar
  1 tablespoon plus 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  1 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning
  1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning
  3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
  6 (6-ounce) tuna steaks (about 1-inch thick)

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the onions and cook for 2 minutes. Drain and cool. Peel the onions and cut off the root ends.


2. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.


3. Toss the onions, vinegar, 1 tablespoon oil, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper in a 13 by 9-inch baking dish. Roast in the oven until the onions are tender and golden, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour.


4. Meanwhile, whisk the 1/3 cup oil, lemon juice, thyme, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper in another 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking dish. Place the tuna steaks in the marinade and turn to coat. Let stand for 5 minutes on each side.


5. Oil the grill rack and prepare the barbecue for medium-high heat. Grill the steaks to desired doneness, about 3 minutes per side for medium. Cut the steaks in half. Transfer the steaks to a platter. Spoon the onion mixture around and serve.

Quick Notes

Keep in mind, this doesn't make nearly enough sauce for 6 Tuna Steaks. It barely makes enough for 3, so adjust accordingly.

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