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Tuna – The Last 2 Ways I Know
I am thrilled and very very proud to say that my husband has brought in his first tuna today. Here is a picture of the 170+ lb. beast.
Its arrival has pushed forward my time line for the final two installments of my “Tuna Four Ways” series. Here are the recipes I use for tuna several days after it has been caught, though I must reiterate that when you get a super-fresh tuna as I did today, raw (as in the tartare) and nearly raw (as in the grill-seared steaks) is the way to go.
However, as many have pointed out to me, not everyone “likes it RAW.” So here are two other recipes for either supermarket tuna or fresh tuna you still have lying around 5 days later.
The first recipe comes from the August issue of Fine Cooking (Side Note: this is my absolutely FAVORITE food mag):
Fresh Tuna Burgers with Ginger & Cilantro:
1 lb. fresh tuna fillet
2 tbsp. Chopped fresh cilantro
2 tbsp. Finely chopped red onion or scallion
2 tbsp. Mayonnaise
1 tsp. Minced fresh ginger
1/2 tsp. Minced fresh hot green or red chile, such as cayenne, thai bird or Serrano
Kosher salt and black pepper
2 tbsp. Canola oil
With a very sharp knife, cut the tuna into 1/4 inch dice. Alternatively [this is what I did and it worked out great] cut the tuna into 1 inch chunks and pulse in a food processor until just chopped, about 4 quick pulses – take care not to over-process. Gently stir in the cilantro, onion, mayonnaise, ginger, chile, 3/4 tsp. Salt and 1/4 tsp. Pepper. Shape the tuna into 4 equal 1 inch-thick patties. Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 20 minutes and up to 1 hour.
Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Cook tuna burgers until nicely browned on both sides but still pink in the center, 2-4 minutes total. Don’t overcook or burgers will be dry.
I served these with the dipping sauce from my Tuna Steaks recipe. May also be good with a remoulade sauce of some sort – experiment and enjoy! (I really could have eaten it raw…)
Finally, when you have truly reached your tuna breaking point, and you can’t imagine eating for dinner again, no matter how it is prepared, it is time for Tuna Confit.
This recipe was sent to me by a friend and I’m not sure where he got it. However, it was pretty simple to do, and the tuna cooked this way will last for 2 weeks so you can spread out its consumption over several lunches!
Ingredients:
3-4 cups good-quality olive oil, more if needed to cover the tuna during cooking
1 medium onion, cut in 1/2-inch slices
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
6 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. black peppercorns, coarsely cracked
Zest of 1 lemon
3 Tbs. coarse salt
2 lb. top-quality fresh tuna, cut into 1-inch-thick steaks
Instructions:
Combine the oil, onion, herbs, peppercorns, lemon zest, and salt in a deep sauté pan or Dutch oven. Heat to between 140° and 150°F, stirring occasionally, and cook for 20 min. to infuse the flavors of the herbs and spices into the oil and to pasteurize them for a long shelf life. Taste the oil; it should be slightly salty. Leave to cool and infuse for about 30 min.; the oil will be warm.
Put the pan back over medium-low heat and slip the tuna into the barely warm oil. (Add as many pieces as will fit in one layer. The tuna must be covered by the oil, add more if needed.) Slowly bring the oil to 150°F again. Turn off the heat, take the pot from the heat, and let the tuna cook slowly in the warm oil. After a minute or two, test for doneness by breaking into the flake of the tuna.
The fish should be cooked to medium rare-slightly pink inside and still tender to the touch. If the tuna isn’t quite done, return it to the oil for another minute. Repeat with any remaining pieces of tuna.
Transfer the tuna to a storage dish and let it cool. Let the oil cool separately and then strain the oil over the fish, discarding the herbs and spices. If the tuna isn’t completely covered in oil, add more olive oil to the storage dish. If not using right away, cover the container tightly and refrigerate. The tuna will keep, covered in oil and refrigerated, for up to 2 weeks.
I ate this tuna in salads for 2 weeks and it was awesome. Very very tender and flavorful – perfect for a Nicoise salad or mixed with warm chickpeas, shallots, green beans and vinegar. Trust me, I had many envious stares in the lunch room at work!
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