Griddled tuna steak with sauce Bordelaise

Dan Evans is in charge of the kitchens at Cassia, the new restaurant on Durbanville wine farm, Nitida. Fiona McDonald reports on his unusual match for Plaisir de Merle Merlot 2005.Dann Evans’career has been an interesting – and unconventional – one. His love of food developed by force of circumstance. After obtaining a degree in art history he somehow ended up working on a large beef farm in Kenya – which eventually opened up to tourists.

< p>“I said I’d do the cooking – and armed with Mrs Beeton’s and a whisk I proceeded to make some absolutely ghastly food that I thought was really rather amazing. I still cringe with embarrassment that the first guest I cooked for was Robert Redford…”

He decided to rectify matters by learning from the greats. “I was dazzled by Michelin stars and decided to learn the trade by working for great chefs.” Among his experience he counts working with Michel Gerard, Joël Rubichon and at places such as Troisgros (home of nouvelle cuisine) and the Hotel Cipriani in Venice. “I loved the Cipriani because of what it was doing with food – breaking conventions. People don’t realize that tiramisu and carpaccio were created at the Cipriani in the ’60s…” He also relished working for Alistair Little in London. “He was a guy who broke so many conventions – a really intellectual man. He had a double first in archaeology from Cambridge!”

Evans counts having learned from people who broke the mould as his most valuable tutors. Being hidebound by rules of food is restrictive to him; he prefers gifted but enthusiastic amateurs. “They’re passionate and committed – and unconventional.”

This month’s food and wine match is certainly unconventional – and borrows from Troisgros which shocked the gastronomic world by serving red mullet with a veal stock-based sauce.

“They were the first to do that – and we thought we’d borrow that concept because tuna is not really like other fish. It’s more like a steak, quite meaty.” The steak is lightly seared in a griddle pan before being plated up on a bed of sautéed spinach and a potato slice. The secret to the food and wine match lies in the sauce Bordelaise – a rich, veal stock-based sauce that is prepared with bone marrow and red wine.

David Grier and Peter Goffe-Wood, partners in Cassia with Bernhard Veller of Nitida wine farm, felt this was a good match.

“So often the secret to a good pairing is not in the main ingredient per sé but in the way one element of the dish is in harmony with the wine,” said Grier, “and in this case, it’s the richness of the red wine, marrow and stock in the sauce.”

Plaisir de Merle Merlot 2005, which was rated 4 Stars in this month’s Merlot tasting (see page 73), is a textured, succulent wine with rich black cherry and spice flavours, with a touch of chocolate too.

“Do people remember what food looked like if you ask them? No, they remember what it tasted like – so I like to prepare food that is a bit like wine, in that it has an aftertaste,” said Evans.

“And that’s where this dish works well – the sauce is rich in flavour and texture and the tuna is fresh and delicious with it. It just works really well with the wine.”
Fresh tuna steaks
Olive oil
Lightly brush the tuna steak with oil and briefly sear in a pre-heated griddle pan until the steak has nice char marks.

SAUCE BORDELAISE

60ml finely chopped shallots
30g diced butter
120g diced beef marrow
¼ tsp ground black pepper
sprig of thyme
125ml red wine
250ml demi-glace (veal stock)


Melt the butter in a pan and sauté the shallots until transparent.
Add the red wine and reduce for a few minutes.
Add the black pepper and thyme and reduce further.
Add the demi-glace and simmer for a few minutes.

In a separate pan, simmer the diced bone marrow in water for 3 – 4 minutes. Drain the water. Add the warm diced marrow to the reduced sauce and simmer for around two minutes.

To assemble: place a bed of wilted spinach on a plate, top with a slice of pan-fried potato and the tuna steak. Garnish with a veal bone. Dress with the sauce and serve .