Tuna Confit with Warm Bean Salad

Yield: Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1  pound  ahi tuna, cut into chunks
• 2  teaspoons  kosher salt
• 2  garlic cloves, minced
• 2  teaspoons  fresh thyme
• 1/2  teaspoon  fennel seeds
• 8  black peppercorns
• 2  dried red arbol chile peppers*
• 3 1/4  cups  olive oil, divided
• 1  cup  chopped onion
• 2  (15 1/2-ounce) cans chickpeas, undrained
• 1  cup  tightly packed fresh baby spinach
• 1/4  teaspoon  kosher salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4  cup  roasted red bell pepper strips
• 1/4  cup  pimiento-stuffed olives
• 2  tablespoons  fresh lemon juice

Preparation

Place fish in an 8- x 8-inch baking dish; rub with 2 teaspoons salt, garlic, thyme, and fennel. Arrange peppercorns and chile peppers in dish. Pour 1/4 cup oil over fish mixture. Cover and chill 8 hours.

Add just enough remaining olive oil to cover fish (about 3 cups).

Bake at 200° 1 hour and 15 minutes or until fish flakes with a fork. Cool; remove fish from pan, reserving oil mixture.

Heat 2 tablespoons reserved oil mixture in a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Add onion; cook 15 minutes or until golden, stirring often.

Drain chickpeas, reserving 1/3 cup liquid. Add chickpeas, spinach, reserved chickpea liquid, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and black pepper to onion mixture. Cook onion mixture 7 to 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated and spinach is wilted, stirring occasionally. Serve fish over spinach mixture. Top each serving evenly with red bell pepper strips, olives, lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon reserved oil mixture.

*If you can't find red arbol chile peppers, you can substitute cayenne or serrano peppers.