Home Cured Tuna In Olive Oil Recipes

OLIVE OIL-POACHED TUNA

Steps:

• Let tuna rest at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Combine garlic, thyme, and red pepper flakes in a heavy skillet. Pour olive oil into skillet to reach a depth of 1 inch. Heat oil over medium heat until garlic and thyme begin to sizzle, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Place tuna gently in hot oil and reduce heat to low. Cook steaks in hot oil, spooning oil over the top of the steaks constantly, until fish is white and hot, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat, transfer steaks to a baking dish, and pour hot oil and herbs over the fish. Cool fish and oil to room temperature.
• Wrap baking dish tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate steaks for 24 hours. Remove fish from oil and sprinkle sea salt over the top.

OLIVE OIL-POACHED ALBACORE TUNA

Steps:

• Season the tuna by sprinkling it with salt; set the tuna aside while you prepare the oil (this has the added benefit of taking the refrigerated chill off the tuna before cooking it.
• Choose a medium frying pan or large saucepan big enough to hold the fish in a single layer. Add enough oil to come about 1/2 inch up the pan.
• Add the garlic, peppercorns, bay leaf, orange or lemon zest, and chile (if using).
• Warm the oil over medium-low heat just until bubbles form on the sides of the pan. Add the tuna; use a spatula or kitchen tongs to gently lower each filet into the oil, taking care not to drop the fish in or splatter the hot oil.
• The oil should cover the tuna (if it doesn't follow the directions in parentheses). Adjust the heat to maintain those few bubbles on the sides of the pan. Gently simmer until the tuna's cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes for a 1 inch-thick piece of tuna (if the oil doesn't quite cover your filets, you may want to flip the fish over at the half-way point. While the fish cooks, set a cooling rack over a rimmed baking sheet or layers of papers towels; or simply line a plate of a few layers of paper towels.
• Use a spatula or slotted spoon to lift the tuna out of the oil and onto the prepared cooling rack or towels to drain. Serve the filets whole for diners to cut up themselves; slice them to serve; or, flake the filets into something that resembles canned tuna. * Look for line-caught Pacific albacore tuna as it is a well-managed and sustainable fishery . Also, albacore caught this way tend to have very low levels of mercury built up in their systems.

SPICE-CURED TUNA TACOS

Steps:

• Slice the tuna into 1cm strips, then dice into rough 1cm cubes. Drizzle over the olive oil and scatter over the lime zest, stir and put in the fridge for 20 mins or so. Gently toast the cumin and coriander in a small frying pan, then tip into a pestle and mortar with a pinch of salt and the chilli flakes and crush to a coarse powder. Stir the spice mix into the tuna with the lime juice and put the bowl back in the fridge for at least 10 mins or up to 1 hr.
• To make the avocado purée, put all the ingredients in a food processor with a pinch of salt and blitz until you have a smooth purée, adding a little oil if it's too thick to blitz. Spoon the mixture into a container.
• If you like your tacos crispy, heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4, brush them with a little oil, place on a baking sheet and cook for 10-15 mins. To build each taco, spoon on some avocado purée and spread out to the edge. Spoon on the spiced tuna and sprinkle over the chillies, pomegranate seeds, coriander and spring onions, drizzle with more oil and add a lime wedge to the plate. Eat with your hands, if soft, or a knife and fork if crispy.

TUNA WITH CAPERS, OLIVES AND LEMON

Steps:

• In a large bowl, mash garlic with the back of a spoon. Whisk in the lemon juice and 5 tablespoons of olive oil. Combine with the tuna, onion, olives, capers, herbs and salt to taste.
• Serve on buttered toast for sandwiches, or make into a dip: Pulse the tuna salad and butter in a food processor until it is creamy. With the motor of the processor running, slowly add the additional 4 tablespoons oil. Taste and add more salt or lemon juice if needed. Serve with cut vegetables (fennel and bell peppers are nice) and crackers.

GRILLED TUNA WITH HERBS AND OLIVES

Steps:

• Start a charcoal or gas grill; fire should be medium-high and rack about 4 inches from heat source.
• When fire is ready, rub tuna lightly with olive oil, then sprinkle it with salt and pepper. Put it on grill and grill about 3 to 4 minutes a side for medium-rare, more or less according to your desired degree of doneness.
• Meanwhile, combine olives, herbs, garlic if you are using it and just enough oil to moisten and bind the mixture, no more than a tablespoon.
• When tuna is done, spread a portion of herb mixture on 1 side of each steak and serve with lemon wedges.

TUNA AND OLIVE SALAD SANDWICH

Steps:

• Make tuna salad:
• Whisk together mayonnaise and lemon juice in a large bowl. Add remaining salad ingredients and stir together gently. Season with salt and pepper.
• Assemble sandwiches:
• Cut baguette into 4 equal lengths and halve each piece horizontally. Brush cut sides with oil and season with salt and pepper. Make sandwiches with baguette, lettuce, and tuna salad.

PASTA WITH TUNA AND OLIVES

Steps:

• Begin heating a large pot of water for the pasta. In a large pasta bowl, break up the tuna. Heat the olive oil in a small frying pan or saucepan over medium heat and add the garlic. Cook, stirring, just until fragrant, and remove from the heat. Add to the tuna. Add the parsley or basil, and mix together.
• Add the tomato sauce to the pan, heat through and season to taste with salt and add pepper and the red pepper flakes if using. Stir in the olives.
• When the water for the pasta comes to a boil, add a generous tablespoon of salt and the pasta. Cook al dente, until firm to the bite, following the cooking instructions on the package but checking the pasta a minute or two before the indicated time. Remove 2 tablespoons of the cooking water and mix with the tuna.
• When the pasta is al dente, drain and transfer to the bowl with the tuna. Add the tomato sauce with the olives, toss everything together, and serve. Pass the Parmesan at the table.