If your summer vacation includes a stop-over or stay in Oman, don’t miss a taste of seared tuna and eggplant salad at the secluded Six Senses Zighy Bay. This is the new home of celebrated executive chef Stephen Jones, also known as “Chef Stevie.”

From what I hear, this Australian/British chef is very adventurous yet simplistic, and he will be overseeing four separate food and beverage outlets at the Oman Musandam getaway. Known for his passion and talent, Chef Stevie has a simplistic approach to cooking where he believes that “less is more” when it comes to creating a flavorful and artistic dish like the seared tuna and eggplant salad.

His approach to food is multicultural and layered with influences from traveling the world. After all, his culinary expertise has taken him across continents; from Mexico, Bali, Indonesia and Lebanon, to Montenegro, Malaysia and Maldives; just to name a few. And did I mention that this exposure and mentorship led Chef Stevie to win the Gallivanter’s Guide Awards for Best Hotel Cuisine Worldwide? Yes he is an award-winning chef!

So, just in case you are in his neck of the woods i.e. Six Senses Zighy Bay in Oman, stop by for a bite into Chef Stevie’s seared tuna and eggplant salad, which is a reflection of his minimalistic yet flavorful approach to cooking. But if you can’t make it there, well, it’s time to whip out your pots and pans because Chef Stevie, through Finding Beauty Middle East, will bring this seared tuna and eggplant salad dish right into your kitchen with this recipe made for four people. Enjoy…

Ingredients for seared tuna and eggplant salad

Tuna Fin Seasoning
350 grams of yellow-fin tuna loin sliced into 4 x 80 gram pieces
150 ml of Olive oil
A pinch of pure sea salt and ground black pepper to season

Salad Ingredients

50 grams of flat leaf parsley, picked & washed
2 pcs of lemon, zest removed and segmented
240 grams medium-size black eggplant, diced to 3cm
6 pcs (3 grams) of baby capers, drained
20 pcs of black Liguerian olives, stone removed

Dressing

30 ml of organic apple cider vinegar
150 ml of rapeseed or virgin olive oil

Preparation Method

Dice the eggplant 3x3cm with skin, remove seeds
Heat olive oil in a non-stick frying pan & gently sauté the eggplant until lightly golden, season with sea salt & drain on absorbent paper
Using a sharp knife, slice a little off the top & bottom of the lemon to ensure a stable cutting surface
Start at the top & slice downwards following the curve of the fruit, cut away all the skin & pith
Slip the knife between the segments and pry away leaving a perfect segment, repeat with all other segments
Pick the leaves from the parsley stalks, wash, drain & roughly chop
Combine all salad ingredients in a bowl & gently mix to combine with spoon
For the dressing, combine vinegar, oil, pinch of sea salt & black pepper in a small bowl & whisk to combine
Add this to the salad ingredients & gently toss, season with salt & ground black pepper and arrange in pile on a serving plate
Heat a non-stick frying pan with olive oil & quickly sear the tuna for 2-3 minutes on all sides, remove & place on a chopping board
Using a sharp knife and slice into even pieces & arrange on top of the salad
Serve your flavorful seared tuna and eggplant salad, and don’t forget to enjoy.