Grilled Ahi Tuna with Asparagus and Mango & Lime Salsa

A sweet tart mango-lime salsa tops grilled tuna and tender asparagus. A feast for the eyes as well as the taste buds.

Recipe Ingredients:

4 mangoes, peeled pitted and cut into 1/8-inch dice*
2 limes, peeled and sectioned**
2 jalapeño chiles, seeded and finely chopped
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 limes, juiced
1 tablespoon honey
6 (6-ounce) ahi tuna steaks
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Cooking Directions:

1. Combine mango, lime sections and jalapeño in a small saucepan with vinegar. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add water if mixture appears too dry. Set aside to cool.
2. Preheat grill.
3. Heat olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Add asparagus and sauté for 2 minutes, or until tender-crisp. Add the cilantro, stock, lime juice and honey. Cook, stirring occasionally for 2 more minutes. Remove from heat.
4. Oil grill before cooking. Season tuna on both sides with salt and pepper. Grill tuna until desired doneness is reached, about 3 minutes per side for medium-rare.
5. Make a bed of asparagus on each serving plate. Top with tuna, then spoon mango salsa on top. Serve immediately.

Makes 6 servings.

Cooking Tip: The green color of the asparagus will lessen the longer it sits in the acidic lime juice. Grill the tuna as soon as possible after making asparagus if you want to preserve the color. Or mix in lime juice just before serving, if desired.

*To Peel a Mango: Stand the mango on end and slice down along the sides of the large flat pit with a boning knife or other long, flexible knife, curving around the pit as you slice. You will end up with three sections: two larger, rounded sections and a flat center section. Score the fruit in each rounded section lengthwise into slices, then crosswise into chunks, if desired. Holding a rounded section by its edges, push at the curved bottom to turn the rind inside out. The slices or chunks can then be cut away from the rind. Trim away rind from the flat center section and separate as much fruit as possible from the pit. Always cut away from yourself and be careful—mango is very slippery.

**To Section Lime: With a sharp chef's knife, slice off the top and bottom so the lime will stand on end. Proceed to slice the peel off from top to bottom, making sure to slice away all the white pith and the outer membrane of the lime sections. When you are through, each lime section should come out easily, though you may need a paring knife to separate it from the dividing membranes. Do this last part over a bowl to catch any juices you may need.