Ingredients:
Leftover tuna (seared)
A couple handfuls of chopped kale
Lemon juice
Olive oil
Kosher salt
Supplies:
The Top
A good family
A large skillet
Method:
Get in touch with your wife on a Friday afternoon and explain you have no ideas for dinner. Have your wife suggest going out, and agree on The Top*. Work through the rest of your day, then meet your lovely wife and awesome son at the restaurant. Sit outside and order a glass of Spanish white wine. It’s going to be fish or chicken for dinner because you gorged on meat-lover’s pizza at lunch and you can still feel all four slices parked in your gut.
Play ninjas with your son and his little Imaginext figures and point out the different skateboards displayed in the gallery window next door. Watch people walk by and smile as the sun sets and downtown Gainesville begins to light itself all gold and red.
Order the ancho bean cakes and ask for the sushi-grade tuna. Order it seared, and when it comes marvel at the texture. The black bean cakes, too, are delicious. Eat them and some of the tuna and a few of your son’s fries. Enjoy the wine and your wife’s company and the evening. Be present. Have fun.
When it’s time to go, pack the tuna and some of the delicious sauce in a to-go box and take it home. Plan to have it the next morning, or maybe for lunch, depending.
Wake hungry. Brew coffee, read a book, ease into your day**. When it’s time for breakfast, take the tuna and kale out of the fridge. Get your kosher salt and some lemon juice and a large skillet. Set the tuna on the counter and set the skillet on the stove
Add some olive oil (just a splash), and set the burner to medium-high. When the pan comes to temperature, toss in the kale. Listen to it sizzle a moment, then sprinkle on a pinch of salt. Gently stir the kale in the pan, add a small splash of lemon juice, and give it another stir. Keep moving the kale until it cooks down and is a little tender.
While the kale cooks, slice the tuna.
When the kale has cooked down, transfer it to a bowl and top it with the sliced tuna. Wait. Let the kale warm the tuna through*** (it won’t take but a minute), then sit down with a knife and fork and enjoy.
*Substitutions can be made. Keep in mind the place must be friendly, have good food, offer excellent drinks, outside seating, and it should speak to you in some way. One or more of the people you go with should feel at least a little at home there.
**You shouldn’t eat right when you wake up. You need to give your body a little time to get its metabolism started. If you’re really looking to lose some weight or tighten up a bit, try to get a little exercise before you eat. Wake up, have some coffee, read some news, then go take a walk around the block. When you get back, you’ll probably be ready for a good breakfast (though not too much, and nothing made out of candy).
***Reheating fish is incredibly tricky business. In fact, it’s usually best not to bother, especially with shrimp, which often ends up overcooking and getting rubbery. If you are going to reheat fish, it’s best to start with cool, not cold fish. So if it’s been in the fridge, let it come closer to room temperature. If you can, let other things you’ve made heat the fish (like the kale in this example). This will ensure it doesn’t cook too quickly and will also help keep the fish oils from overcooking and going stinky. If you have to heat fish all by itself, you can use a pan on low heat, a steamer, or the microwave. If you’re using a pan, let it come up to temperature, set the fish in the pan just enough to heat that side, then flip it. Let it sit a bit longer (again, just enough to heat the side), then move it to a plate. Let it sit a moment so the heat can disperse into the middle. Then enjoy it. It won’t be hot, but it’ll be warm, and still taste (and smell) fresh. Don’t keep fish around for long. If you can’t enjoy it the next morning or for lunch the next day, don’t take it home. And I wouldn’t recommend trying this with deep-fried fish. Battered things just don’t keep.