Albacore Roasted In A Bed Of Lettuce Recipes

SLOW-COOKED ALBACORE AND FRESH SHELL BEAN SALAD

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cut the albacore into inch-thick slices and place them in a small ovenproof dish. Season generously with salt and pepper. Put the red pepper flakes and fennel seed in a mortar or spice mill and make a rough powder. Sprinkle over the fish. Add the garlic and rosemary. Add oil to a depth of 1/2 inch, barely covering the fish.
• Cover the dish and place in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, turn the slices over, then return to the oven for another 10 minutes. The albacore should be cooked through, but barely. Let the fish cool in its dish, uncovered. Store the fish in its cooking juices in the refrigerator for up to a week. Bring to room temperature to serve.
• To make the salad, toss the peppers, onion, pepper flakes, vinegar, garlic and olive oil in a large serving bowl. Season well with salt and pepper and stir in the basil, mint or marjoram. Add the shell beans, draining them well first, and the cooked albacore, broken into large pieces, and mix together. Serve with hard-boiled eggs, if you like.

GRILLED ALBACORE WITH YOGURT-DILL SAUCE ON A BED OF ARUGULA

Steps:

• If marinating the fish: Quarter the onions and place in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add a generous pinch of salt and pulse the onions until puréed and watery. Line a strainer with a double thickness of cheesecloth and dump in the puréed onions. Take up the edges of the cheesecloth and squeeze out the onion juice (you can also use a cloth kitchen towel for this). Discard the pulp. Add to the onion juice the lemon juice, olive oil and bay leaves. Place the fish steaks in the marinade, turn over a few times, cover the bowl and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours, basting or turning the fish from time to time.
• Heat a hot charcoal or gas grill, or a grill pan or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. If you have not marinated the fish, simply salt and pepper and brush with olive oil. Combine the yogurt, garlic and lemon juice in a bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper and stir in the dill or mint. Set aside.
• Arrange the arugula on a large serving platter.
• Grill the fish on each side for 2 to 4 minutes, depending on how rare you like it. Brush the unturned side with marinade (or just olive oil) before turning it over. Transfer the fish to the platter, placing the steaks on top of the arugula. Spoon the yogurt sauce over the fish and arugula, and serve.

GRILLED OR PAN-COOKED ALBACORE WITH SOY/MIRIN MARINADE

Steps:

• Combine the soy sauce, mirin, vinegar, ginger and sugar in a bowl and whisk together well. Whisk in the sesame oil.
• Place the albacore steaks in a large bowl or baking dish and toss with the marinade. Cover the bowl, or transfer the fish and marinade to a large zip-top bag and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours, or longer.
• Prepare a hot grill, or heat a heavy cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Remove the fish from the marinade. Cook the steaks for 2 to 4 minutes on each side, depending on how well done you like the fish to be. Serve hot.

ALBACORE ROASTED IN A BED OF LETTUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Make small slits in the tuna steaks with the tip of a paring knife and slide the anchovy pieces into the slits. Season the steaks with salt and pepper and set aside. Measure the thickness of the tuna steaks; this will determine the roasting time.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy skillet or saucepan and add the onions. Cook, stirring, until onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, stir until it is fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute, and stir in the tomatoes, optional saffron, salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring often, until the tomatoes have cooked down slightly and smell fragrant, about 10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning.
• Heat a large, heavy ovenproof casserole over high heat and add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Season the tuna steaks on both sides with salt and pepper and sear for 30 seconds on both sides (make sure the pot is hot when you add them or they will stick). Transfer to a plate. Stir in half the tomato sauce, scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze, and remove from the heat.
• Lay half the lettuce leaves over the tomato sauce and place the tuna steaks on top of the lettuce leaves in a single layer. Cover the steaks with the lemon slices, and spoon on the remaining tomato sauce. If there are any more lemon slices, lay them over the tomato sauce. Top with the remaining lettuce leaves. Pour the wine into the pot.
• Cover tightly and place in the oven. Bake 1 1/2-inch thick steaks for 15 minutes, 2-inch thick steaks for 20 minutes.
• To serve, remove the lettuce to a cutting board and slice in thin strips. Transfer the tuna to a warm platter. Remove the lemon slices and discard if desired. Bring the sauce in the pan to a simmer over high heat and reduce for about 5 minutes. Stir the sauce, and spoon over the tuna. Garnish with the lettuce, or serve it separately in a bowl. You can also discard it, but I like the taste and texture. Slice the fish across the grain and serve.