Chargrilled tuna with fried green tomatoes and capers

Always a sucker for a bit of movie advertising, I've wanted to try fried green tomatoes for a long time, but it's hard to buy them in London.  Unless you grow your own, green tomatoes are a rare treat.

The last hardy survivors from my tomato patch are well suited here to cut the richness of the tuna and, quickly cooked, release their juices into the lemon and capers to make a light sauce. The unripened fruit hold their shape a little better than the red ones, so don't collapse completely into a debauched pulp.

I like my tuna pretty rare, still glistening deep pink and translucent in the centre. But if you prefer yours well done just add another minute to the cooking time.

Serves 2

2 (room temperature) tuna steaks about 15mm thick, and 1 tsp of olive oil
a couple of handfuls of green ro yellow cherry tomatoes, halved (red will work just as well)
2 tbsp capers
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
the segments of 1 large lemon
2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
1 tsp sugar
a large bunch of parsley, finely chopped
a bunch of chives, finely chopped

Some crusty bread and butter to serve

1) Lightly oil the tuna, then season lightly with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat a griddle pan until smoking hot (better to open the windows before you do this!) then cook each side of the tuna for just 30 seconds to a minute, then transfer to a warm plate.

2) Heat the olive oil in a frying pan, then fry the garlic for a few seconds until light gold in colour before adding the tomatoes, capers, lemon and sugar. Fry for a minute (until the tomatoes are warmed through but not fully cooked) then add the chopped herbs and spoon over the tuna.