1 tablespoon fresh marjoram or oregano (or 1 teaspoon dried)
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds fresh tuna in one thick piece
1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 pound fresh spinach
well rinsed
dried and trimmed of heavy stems
1 cup cooked white beans (cannel- lini beans)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
Beat the lime juice, marjoram and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil together.
Set aside.
Trim any dark areas from the tuna, then cut it into four equal pieces, trimming them a little if necessary to make four rectangular logs.
Press the cracked black pepper over the outside of the pieces of fish.
Heat all but a teaspoon of the remaining olive oil plus the canola oil in a large, heavy skillet.
When the oil is very hot, carefully place the fish in the skillet (to avoid splattering) and sear each piece for barely a minute, then turn and continue to sear the fish pieces briefly on each of the remaining three sides.
Remove the fish to a warm plate.
The fish should be rare in the middle.
Wipe out the skillet and add the remaining olive oil.
Add the spinach and saute it for a few minutes, until the spinach is barely wilted.
Add the beans, season with salt and pepper and continue to saute until the spinach is wilted but is still a bright green and the beans are completely heated through.
Divide the spinach mixture equally among four dinner plates.
Cut the blocks of seared tuna into slices one-half-inch thick and array the slices on top of the spinach.
Briefly beat the vinaigrette, then drizzle the vinaigrette around the tuna and the spinach.