Moist Well Done Tuna Braised In Oil Food

MOIST WELL-DONE TUNA (BRAISED IN OIL)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350F.
• Thaw tuna if frozen. Dry with a paper towel. Remove skin or dark meat from the tuna, if desired. Cut into 1-inch cubes, making an even number of pieces for two equal servings. Sprinkle salt on the tuna cubes on at least two sides.
• Choose a baking pan or dish that will allow the pieces to be about 1/4" apart from each other but without extra space. The pan should also be deep enough to allow it to be covered with a lid or foil without touching the tuna. Lightly oil the bottom of the pan or dish and evenly distribute the tuna.
• Pour oil into the pan to come up 1/3" to 1/2" deep. Sprinkle the minced garlic (and thyme, if using) over the tuna in oil.
• Cover and bake for 15 minutes (20 minutes if tuna is partially thawed). Turn the tuna pieces over. Cover and bake for a second 15 minutes for well-done but moist tuna.
• Serve the tuna hot. Discard the oil and garlic (and loose thyme, if using).

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.

BRAISED TUNA IN WHITE WINE

Steps:

• Use a heavy, lidded saute pan, large enough to hold the tuna and vegetables comfortably. Over medium-low heat, saute the onion slices, garlic and julienned red pepper strips in the oil until the vegetables are soft.
• Dry tuna steak. Push vegetables to edge of pan and turn heat to medium-high. Quickly brown tuna on both sides. (Add more oil if needed.) When tuna is nicely browned, add wine and let it come to a boil. Turn heat to low, cover pan and steam tuna in wine for 8 to 12 minutes, to desired degree of doneness.
• Add olives, capers and shredded peel and stir to mix with vegetables.
• Remove fish and place on a warm platter. Distribute vegetables over and around fish. Turn heat to high and rapidly boil down the juices in the pan until they are reduced to 2 or 3 tablespoons of syrupy glaze. Add to the fish and serve immediately.