Tuna Provençal Food

PAN BAGNAT (PROVENçAL TUNA SANDWICH)

Steps:

• In a small bowl, mix together olive oil, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Set aside to infuse the oil for 5-10 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients. (This could be done up to 12 hours ahead of time to really get a punch of flavor into the oil.)
• Slice the baguette length-wise, all the way through, creating two long halves.
• Drizzle the garlic infused olive oil over the two halves of the bread. Layer the tomato slices, red onions, and green pepper slices over one of the halves. Continue layering the tuna, sliced eggs, olives, and anchovies (if using).
• Top the sandwich with the second half of baguette. Press the sandwich firmly to help keep the ingredients in place and cut the baguette into four even pieces.
• The sandwich can be eaten immediately, but for the traditional, pressed version that is great for taking on picnics, wrap each piece tightly in plastic wrap and place it under some sort of weight (a cast iron pan, a can of tuna, a plate weighted down with some bags of beans). Press the sandwich for at least 30 minutes, or it can be refrigerated and pressed for up to 24 hours. The longer the sandwich sets, the more the flavors will infuse. Let the sandwich come to room temperature before serving.

PROVENCAL TUNA BURGER

Steps:

• Put the olives, red peppers, cucumber, garlic, onion and vinegar in a medium bowl; season lightly with salt and toss to combine. Set aside at room temperature.
• Put 1 of the buns in a food processor and pulse to make coarse crumbs.
• Put the mayonnaise, mustard and egg whites in a large bowl and use a fork to combine. Add the tuna and 1/2 cup of the breadcrumbs (save the rest for another use) and season with salt and pepper. Toss well to combine without breaking up the tuna too much. Divide into 4 patties, each about 1/2 inch thick and 4 inches across. Put on a wax-paper- or plastic-wrap-lined plate and chill for 20 minutes.
• Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the patties to the skillet and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side.
• Spread 1 teaspoon sun-dried tomato tapenade on each bottom bun and top with a tuna burger. Top with 2 to 3 basil leaves and about 1/3 cup reserved olive-and-cucumber salad and cover with the top buns. Serve.

PAN BAGNAT (PRESSED FRENCH TUNA SANDWICH)

Steps:

• Stir garlic into the olive oil and set aside.
• Partially hollow out the bread by pulling out about 50% of the insides. Brush the bread very generously with the garlic olive oil, reserving about 1 tablespoon for later use.
• Begin building the sandwich by placing a layer of sliced tomatoes on the bottom half, covering it completely. Season with salt and pepper. Top with sliced onion, olives, and banana peppers.
• Crumble the tuna over the top, pressing down slightly so it stays in place. Be sure to go as close to the edges as possible. Top with anchovy filets, capers, sliced eggs, and basil leaves. Top with another layer of tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with vinegar and reserved garlic olive oil.
• Place the top half of the loaf on and press firmly to compress the ingredients. Wrap in several layers of plastic wrap, then with aluminum foil, ending with seams at the top.
• Place into a large pan and place a sheet pan over the top. Weigh down with heavy cans, pots, a cast iron pan, or a cutting board, to press the sandwich as evenly as possible.
• Place in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours, or up to overnight, turning halfway through if possible. Unwrap, slice, and serve.

TUNA PROVENCALE

Steps:

• Combine 2 tablespoons olive oil, cumin, fennel seeds, garlic, thyme leaves, and lime zest; season, to taste, with pepper. Rub the marinade all over the tuna steaks. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator.
• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, fennel, a pinch of cumin, and a pinch of fennel seeds and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes (don't let the vegetables brown). Add the zucchini and bell peppers, season to taste with salt and pepper, and continue to cook for 5 minutes.
• Separately, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the fava beans and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the cherry tomatoes, orange segments, lemon zest and segments, half of the basil leaves, olives, and pistachios.
• While the vegetables are cooking, heat a grill pan over high heat. Brush the pan with vegetable oil and grill the tuna steaks for 4 minutes on each side for medium rare. Let rest for 5 minutes before cutting each steak into 4 slices.
• Divide the vegetables among 4 warm dinner plates. For each plate, top with the remaining basil leaves and put 2 slices of tuna on top of the vegetables. Season the tuna with fleur de sel and spoon the citrus-fava mixture around the plate. Serve immediately.

PROVENCAL TUNA SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Whisk the olive oil, vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper in a large bowl. Add the red onion; set aside.
• Rub the inside of the bread pieces with the garlic, then with the halved tomato and season with salt and pepper; discard the garlic and tomato skins. Arrange the tomato slices on the bread bottoms.
• Add the tuna to the vinaigrette, breaking it into pieces. Stir in the bell pepper, cucumber, parsley and capers; season with salt and pepper. Divide the mixture among the bread bottoms. Close the sandwiches and press down on the bread tops gently. Wrap the sandwiches tightly in plastic wrap and place a heavy skillet on top. Let sit 15 minutes to soften the bread, then unwrap and cut in half.

SEARED TUNA WITH TIAN OF PROVENCAL VEGETABLES

Steps:

• For the vegetable tian: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil a 9 by 13-inch ceramic or glass baking dish. In a small bowl, combine the oil with the thyme, garlic, salt, and pepper.
• Arrange half of the vegetables in rows in the dish, interspersing the different types until the bottom of the dish is covered. Drizzle with half of the oil mixture. Make a final layer of mixed vegetables, and drizzle with the remaining oil mixture. Cover the top of the vegetables with lightly oiled parchment paper. Bake until the vegetables are tender, about 40 minutes.
• Remove the vegetable tian from the oven, keep warm in a warm place, and increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees F.
• For the tuna: Season the tuna with the salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add the tuna and cook, turning once, until seared on both sides, about 2 minutes. Uncover the tian and place the seared tuna fillets on top of the vegetables, spacing them evenly. Bake, uncovered, until the tuna is rare to medium-rare, about 5 minutes. Spoon equal amounts of the sauce in the centers of 6 warmed plates. Using a wide spatula, lift portions of the tuna and vegetables and transfer to the plates.
• For the sauce: Place the tomato confit, garlic confit, water, salt and pepper in a blender and process on high speed. With the machine running, drizzle in the oil and blend until the sauce is emulsified, about 1 minute. Transfer to a medium bowl and stir in the parsley and thyme. Set aside at room temperature
• Place the tomatoes in a colander and toss with the salt. Let drain at room temperature for 2 hours. Pat the tomatoes dry with paper towels. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Place the tomatoes, garlic, and rosemary in a nonreactive 2-quart saucepan. Add enough oil to cover the tomatoes. Cover the saucepan and bake until the tomatoes are very tender, but not falling apart, about 3 hours. Drain, discard the garlic and rosemary, and set the tomato confit aside for the sauce. (The tomato confit can be prepared up to 3 days in advance, covered and refrigerated.)
• Place the garlic cloves and 2 cups cold water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Drain. Repeat the procedure 2 more times. Return the drained garlic cloves to the saucepan and add the oil. Bring to a bare simmer over very low heat. Cook until the garlic is tender, about 40 minutes. Cool completely. Transfer to a 1-pint canning jar, add enough oil to cover the garlic, and seal. (The garlic confit can be prepared up to 3 weeks in advance, covered and refrigerated.)

TUNA PROVENCAL

Steps:

• In a large bowl flake tuna with a fork. Stir in capers, black olives, onion and tomatoes. Pour in oil and vinegar and toss to coat. Season and serve with watercress on whole grain bread. Alternative: Arrange mixed greens on plate and top with a quartered boiled new potato, quartered boiled egg and steamed green beans. In center place a scoop of the tuna salad.

TUNA SALAD PROVENCAL

Steps:

• In a mixing bowl, combine vinegar, basil, mustard, garlic, salt, sugar and pepper. Whisk in olive oil.
• Steam beans until tender. Drain.
• Add beans, fennel, red pepper and scallions to bowl and toss gently.
• Arrange arugula on plates. Spoon salad over greens and top with crumbled tuna. Garnish with olives.

HEALTHY & SUPER QUICK TUNA & PASTA à LA PROVENCAL

Steps:

• Note:.
• I was unable to enter one of the main ingredients - canned "Ratatouille" as it was not recognised. In the UK most supermarkets sell cans of Ratatouille (a delicious mix of tomato, courgette (zucchini), red peppers, aubergine (eggplant), red onion etc). It's very cheap, usually very low fat, very low calorie and very tasty. It makes an excellent base for quick and healthy meals. I don't know if it's commonly available in the USA. I guess if not it might be worth making up a large batch and freezing in small tubs for quick meals.
• Fill a medium saucepan with enough fresh water to boil the pasta, squirt a little lemon juice (or salt) into it (to prevent pasta sticking) and place on a high heat to boil.
• Measure out the pasta in a small bowl and put aside ready for when the water boils, and add the pasta when water is boiling. When the water gets back to boiling again, mentally note when the pasta will be done, reduce heat and stir occasionally.
• Whilst waiting for water to boil, in a small saucepan, add 2/3 of a can of Ratatouille Provencale and half a can of chopped tomatoes (both according to taste and appetite). Add a generous half teaspoon of a medium-hot curry powder (such as Madras - to taste), a small squirt of american mustard, a dash of dried basil, a dash of dried garlic, and grind a little black pepper over it.
• Weigh out (to taste) the quantity of mushrooms and rinse and shake dry each one as you break it into small chunks into the Ratatouille mix. When all the mushrooms are broken up and added, place the pan on a medium-high heat to warm through, reducing heat to simmer when hot and stirring occasionally.
• Open the can of Tuna steak in brine and holding over sink, use the lid pressing it down to drain as much of the liquid as you can. Put to one side until about a minute and a half before the pasta will be done.
• In a (microwaveable) pasta plate or large individual serving bowl, add a generous heaped tablespoon of low fat/fat-free yoghurt (or heavy (double) cream if you prefer and don't mind the calories), add a squirt of lemon juice (just under a teaspoon) and some fresh ground black pepper and stir together. Place plate in microwave and set for about 20 seconds on high but don't press start.
• About a minute and a half before pasta is cooked add about 2/5 can of tuna (to taste) to the Ratatouille mix and stir very gently to mix.
• When pasta is ready to be drained, press start on microwave, drain pasta, remove plate with hot yoghurt from microwave and put the pasta into it. Use a spoon to liberally coat the pasta with the soured yoghurt and sprinkle with a little black pepper / dried basil to taste.
• Add the Tuna Ratatouille mix into the centre of the pasta, add a generous tablespoon of plain yoghurt and sprinkle with herbs/black pepper to garnish. You may prefer grated cheese/parmesan on top :).
• Can be resized to serve more people very easily - varying quantities according to personal preferences.
• Note regarding pasta:.
• You could use whatever pasta you prefer but I really like Serpentini (aka Cavatappi or Spirali) with fish. They're the hollow spirals of about the same thickness as maccaroni roughly an inch and a half long with ridges on the outside in case you know them by another name :) (Mine actually says "Spirali" on the packet - but I always thought Spirali was a different type altogether).

TUNA SANDWICHES PROVENCAL

Steps:

• Whisk together mayonnaise, capers, mustard, anchovy paste, tomato paste, pepper, and 1 tablespoon vinegar in a bowl.
• Drain oil from tuna into a bowl and whisk in remaining 2 tablespoons vinegar. Brush insides of all roll halves generously with mixture.
• Add tuna to mayonnaise mixture and stir to combine.
• Make sandwiches with lettuce, tomato, egg, and tuna mixture on a work surface. Weight sandwiches with a heavy cutting board, large plate, or platter for about 10 minutes.