Tuna Confit with Warm Bean Salad

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

1. 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.
2. Add just enough remaining olive oil to cover fish (about 3 cups).
3. Bake at 200° 1 hour and 15 minutes or until fish flakes with a fork. Cool; remove fish from pan, reserving oil mixture.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. *If you can't find red arbol chile peppers, you can substitute cayenne or serrano peppers.