Oil Poached Tuna Salad 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.

OIL-POACHED TUNA AND GRAIN SALAD

Steps:

• Use a vegetable peeler to remove strips of lemon zest and add to a medium saucepan. Add the garlic, Aleppo pepper, tuna, and enough oil just to cover. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat and cook until the tuna is opaque and firm, about 15 minutes. Transfer the tuna to a plate and break into large flakes. Strain the oil and reserve ¼ cup for the dressing.
• Meanwhile, cook the grains in a large saucepan of salted boiling water until tender, 20 to 60 minutes depending on the grain. Add the snap peas to the grains and cook until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Drain the grains and snap peas, spread on a plate and let cool slightly.
• Into a large bowl, squeeze 3 tablespoons lemon juice. Whisk in the reserved olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Add the grains, snap peas, tuna, chickpeas, onion, tomatoes, and chives and toss to combine, leaving the tuna in bite size pieces.
• The salad can be refrigerated for up to 4 days.

OLIVE OIL POACHED TUNA INFUSED WITH THYME, LEMON, AND SHALLOTS

Steps:

• Season the tuna with salt and pepper and set aside. Combine the oil, thyme, lemon, garlic, red pepper and shallots in a large saucepot. Warm the oil over medium heat until it reaches 130 degrees F. Let the flavors steep for 10 minutes. Re-test the temperature, adjusting the heat, if necessary. Submerge the tuna in the olive oil poaching liquid and cook until it is firm and medium-rare, approximately 5 minutes.
• Remove the tuna from the oil. Slice each piece. Arrange the tuna medallions over stewed lentils accompanied by sauteed broccoli rabe. Serve seasoned with Fleur de Sel and moistened with the olive oil poaching liquid.
• Place the lentils in a pot. Add enough cold water to cover them by 2 inches. Season the water with salt then simmer the lentils over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until the lentils are chewy, about 15 minutes. Drain the lentils and reserve.
• Heat the olive oil in a medium pot, over medium-low flame. Add the shallots, garlic, crushed red pepper, and rosemary. Cook stirring frequently until the shallots and garlic are golden, about 10 minutes. Add the tomato puree and cook until it begins to concentrate, about 7 minutes. Then add the lentils. Stew the lentils in the sauce over a very low flame until they are fully tender but still holding their shape, about 10 minutes. Serve warm.

OIL-POACHED TUNA SALAD

Steps:

• Bring flageolet beans and 4 cups water to a boil in a large saucepan, reduce heat, and simmer until beans are tender, 50-60 minutes; season with salt. Let beans cool; drain. Transfer to a medium bowl. (Do not cook canned beans.)
• Cook green beans in another large saucepan of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and transfer to a colander set in a bowl of ice water. Let cool; drain and set aside. Wipe saucepan dry.
• Heat oil, rosemary, and garlic in same saucepan over medium-low heat until deep-fry thermometer registers 160°F. Season tuna with salt and pepper and cook in oil until opaque except for a bit of pink in the center, about 4 minutes per side. Using a slotted spatula, transfer tuna to a plate. Let poaching oil cool, then remove rosemary and garlic. Set aside 1/4 cup oil.
• Whisk anchovies, shallot, parsley, lemon juice, mustard, chopped dill, and reserved poaching oil in a small bowl; season with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice, if desired. Add some vinaigrette to bowl with flageolet beans and toss to coat.
• Break tuna into large pieces and arrange on a platter with flageolet and green beans, tomatoes, and olives. Top with a few dill sprigs and serve with remaining vinaigrette alongside.
• DO AHEAD: Tuna can be made 1 day ahead. Return fish to cooled oil, cover, and chill. Serve at room temperature.

ITALIAN-STYLE OIL-POACHED TUNA SALAD

Steps:

• Use a vegetable peeler to remove strips of lemon zest and add to a medium saucepan. Add the garlic, rosemary, red pepper flakes, tuna, and enough oil just to cover. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat and cook until the tuna is opaque and firm, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Transfer the tuna to a plate and break into large flakes. Strain the oil and reserve ¼ cup for the dressing. Into a large bowl, squeeze 3 tablespoons lemon juice. Whisk in the reserved olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Add the tuna, white beans, celery, and tomato, and gently toss to coat.

OLIVE OIL POACHED TUNA MELTS

Steps:

• Place the oil, thyme, rind of the lemon peeled into strips, bay leaves and crushed garlic in a pan and bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Then remove the pan from the heat and add the trimmed fish. Let stand 20 minutes. Then remove the fish, reserving the poaching oil, cool and flake.
• In a bowl, combine the juice of the lemon with 1/3 cup reserved poaching oil. Whisk to combine and season with salt and pepper. To the dressing, add the celery, onions, hot and sweet peppers, olives, parsley, capers and tarragon. Season the fish with a little seafood seasoning and add to the salad. Combine with the tines of a large fork, cover and store.
• To serve, place the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the broiler.
• Shred the Cheddar or Gruyere cheese on the large side of a box grater.
• Pile the tuna salad on the bottom of the rolls. Top with the cheese. Place both the bottoms and tops under the broiler to toast and melt the cheese, 2 minutes. Serve hot.

TUNA POACHED IN OLIVE OIL

Steps:

• Season tuna with salt. Stir 3 cups oil, the lemon zest, garlic, and thyme in a medium saucepan. Add tuna and more oil to cover tuna by 1/2 inch if needed. Set over medium-low heat. Cook, covered, until tuna is opaque, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from heat; let cool completely. Tuna in oil can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 3 days.
• To serve, remove tuna from cooking oil with tongs; transfer to paper towels to drain. Discard cooking oil. Flake into 2-inch pieces. Drizzle with oil; sprinkle with pepper. Serve with lemon and the tomato-olive salad. Garnish with thyme.

FRESH TUNA SALAD WITH AVOCADO

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, combine the olive oil, fennel seeds and peppercorns and bring to a simmer over moderately low heat. Season the tuna with salt and add to the saucepan. Simmer the tuna over low heat, turning once, until barely pink in the center, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a plate and scrape off the fennel seeds and peppercorns. Strain and reserve the oil.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl, blend the mayonnaise with the minced anchovies, capers, garlic and 1 Tbls. of the fresh lemon juice. Stir the celery, onion and olives into the dressing. Using a fork, break the tuna into 1" pieces, then fold into the dressing. Season with salt.
• Set 2 avocado halves on each of 4 plates, skin side down. Drizzle the avocado flesh with some of the reserved spice-infused olive oil and the remaining 1 Tbls. of fresh lemon juice. Spoon about 1/2 cup tuna salad into the center of each avocado. Top with pea shoots or alfalfa sprouts and serve.

OIL POACHED TUNA

Steps:

• Season tuna with salt and pepper. Place in a saucepan with garlic and enough oil to just cover. Bring to a gentle simmer, and cook over low heat until the fish is opaque, about 10 minutes. Do not let it boil. Remove from heat, and add lemon thyme and bay leaves. Let stand until room temperature. Use immediately, or transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour before using.