What would you lovely people serve with tuna steak for a special meal? (I know nothing.....)

[Lovelydiscusfish]

So, my mom’s birthday is coming up and I want to cook for her. She is absolutely the most brilliant human being I know - she cares for my dad, who has dementia, while also being outstandingly there for me (her fuck-wit 42 year old daughter).

So I would like to make it special. I am taking all of us (me, her, DD, my dad) out for lunch the day before. But that’s likely to be a car-crash as dad hasn’t been out of the house for two years, apart from to the GP - I mean, fuck knows! It’ll be fine, and the important thing is he’ll be there with us, but not the relaxing experience my mom really deserves.

So I said I would cook on her actual birthday (I can barely cook). Tuna steaks are a thing she has never had but has expressed an interest in.

But what goes with them? I thought about:

Chips
Some kind of sautéed potato dish (like dauphinois)
A robust salad
Spinach
Roasted cherry tomatoes
Nice bread.

Not all of these at once, right! Any advice gratefully welcomed.....

Really nice salad, good bread, salsa verde?

I did tuna steaks the other day with sautéed potatoes, chargrilled asparagus and this salad, but without the feta:
www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/preserved-lemon-tomato-salad-feta

Was very nice! Only chose that one as I had preserved lemons to use but I think it would be nice without the preserved lemon also.

Hope it goes well and your mum has a lovely birthday

I’d have a back up incase she’s not keen. I remember my brother getting one for his 18th in a restaurant and my dad had to swap his steak as my brother didn’t like it! But I’d probably do it with potatoes. Have a google and maybe you will find a nice recipe

I love them on a really good salad niçoise.

I would do a Niçoise salad.

A nice green salad and wild rice - a spicy dressing on the side & don't forget the lemon wedges

Potato wedges and roasted/grilled mediterranean veg (tomatoes, peppers, onion, courgette) yummy

Tends to be a lovely salad with that.

Or you could push the boat out and find a recipe for a starter with tuna steak, and do a main you know she loves?

My husband has been known to do something with balsamic vinegar.
Roesti potatoes
Asparagus - appears to be coming into season now

Are they both ok with dry food? As my own parents became older, and my dad got dementia, they struggled to eat anything that was served without some kind of sauce or gravy. Honestly I should have taken shares out in Bisto.
Just thought I'd mention it but obviously feel free to ignore if not applicable to your parents, hope your mum has a nice birthday.

Also then you can do something you know you can cook for a main just in case you fuck up the tuna?

You are supposed to have it v rare which I know can be a bit scary for people who don't cook that much/ eat much rare stuff/ worry about undercooked fish etc and so it's often overcooked.

As you say you can barely cook, be careful not to overcook the tuna. It can be tough and fairly unpleasant if overdone.

Maybe watch a YouTube video of someone cooking it?

I'd honestly go with a small starter or taster sort of thing for safety. And something you know how to cook for the main.

I used to do a really delicious salad - quick and easy.

Literally just lambs lettuce, nicely seared tuna steak and sweet chilli sauce. I would do this as a starter so you could too and then do something tried and tested as a main? Bonus you probably wouldn’t need a whole tuna steak per person.

That sounds yum.

Yes slice the steak prettily and share out else too much for starter. Look at pics on internet!

Tuna steaks can be very dry so the pomme dauphinois is a good idea as it will add some moisture. I'd do that with a rocket salad and some vine roasted tomatoes. It will taste good and be a nice mix of colour and texture.

Offer two shop desserts and/or a couple of nice cheeses after and it will be a great event with not too much work on the day.

What a nice thing to do for your mum. I bet she will be thrilled.

I serve them super rare, then sliced down, with a really easy pasta side dish. It’s pasta with a rich tomato sauce stirred through it, then chopped black olives, green beans and a few chilli flakes added. Some of the flavours of a Nicoise. It’s absolutely divine and v easy.

Ooh- or an Asian salad would be lovely with it.

Oh wow - thank you everybody! Loads of brilliant ideas, and very kind thoughts here.

Should add, my dad (who has dementia) won’t be having the tuna steak. My idea is to either cook him an actual steak (he likes them), or some other kind of fish that he knows and happily eats. He hardly eats anything any more anyway....(😥😥😥). But is likely to eat whatever protein I give him - that will be his main eating for his evening meal - and will probably then have some kind of little go at the sides, if the rest of us do .... (sorry, I know that sounds patronising as fuck. We really aren’t. We are just learning to fit around how he eats.....)

Thanks so much to all of you! And the posters particularly who obviously have experience of relatives with dementia..... You are all so kind! Xxx