Olive And Fennel Tuna Melts Recipes

MATER'S MISSISSIPPI TUNA MELT

Steps:

• Make the aioli and begin marinating the tuna early in the day. Microwave the lemon and lime in a small bowl to release the essential oils and set aside just long enough to be able to handle. Meanwhile, through the feed tube of a running blender, add 1 at a time, the egg yolks, dry mustard, salt, and white pepper. By this time, the micro-waved lemon and lime should be cool enough to handle. Leaving the blender running, squeeze the juice from half of 1 lemon through the feed opening, then add the oil in a slow stream. Remove to a bowl and refrigerate.
• Season the tuna steaks with salt and pepper, place them in a nonreactive container and squeeze the rest of the lemon and the lime over them. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.
• Heat the grill or preheat the broiler in the oven. Brush the marinated tuna with 1 tablespoon or so of olive oil. Cook until browned, until fish flakes with a fork, 3 to 6 minutes per side, and then let rest. Leave grill hot or oven on to toast bread.
• Brush olive oil (about 1 tablespoon per half) on Italian bread and toast lightly, either on the grill or under broiler.
• Flake the tuna, place in a bowl with scallions and fennel and fold in the aioli. Spoon tuna mixture onto the toasted Italian bread, drizzle a small amount of balsamic vinegar over, and top with Cheddar. Heat briefly in the oven to melt cheese. Garnish with fresh dill. This is great served with fresh tomato soup, if desired.

LINGUINE WITH FENNEL AND TUNA

Steps:

• Cook linguine according to package instructions. Drain and return to pot; reserve 1/2 cup pasta water.
• Trim fennel bulbs; reserve 1/4 cup chopped fronds. Quarter, core, and thinly slice bulbs crosswise; cook in 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until golden, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes. Add to pasta along with fronds, lemon juice, capers, remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, and reserved pasta water.
• Season with salt and pepper. Flake in tuna. Gently toss.

TUNA STEAKS WITH FENNEL

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the leek and cook, stirring, until leeks are limp, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until the mixture is fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute. Add the fennel and a generous pinch of salt and cook, stirring often, until it begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Turn the heat to low, cover and cook slowly for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring often. Stir in the lemon juice, taste and adjust seasonings. The mixture should be very soft.
• Meanwhile, season the albacore steaks with salt and pepper and heat the remaining olive oil in another pan over medium-high heat. Sear the albacore steaks for 30 seconds on each side. Place on top of the fennel. Cover the pan, turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer for another 5 to 10 minutes, until the fish is cooked through.
• Sprinkle on the parsley and serve, laying the fish on top of the fennel, with lemon wedges on the side.

OLIVE AND FENNEL TUNA MELTS

Steps:

• Preheat broiler.
• Into a bowl flake tuna and stir in mayonnaise, fennel, olives, parsley, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Divide tuna salad among toast slices and top with Cheddar. In a shallow baking pan broil sandwiches under broiler about 4 inches from heat until cheese is bubbling, 1 to 2 minutes.

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.

ROASTED FENNEL, ORANGE, AND TUNA SALAD

Steps:

• Cut fennel bulbs into 1-inch wedges. On a rimmed baking sheet, drizzle fennel with 2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Roast at 400 degrees until golden, 30 minutes, flipping halfway through. Arrange on a platter with watercress, avocado, sliced oranges, and tuna. Juice 1/2 an orange and whisk in an equal amount of vinegar; whisk in olive oil and season. Drizzle over salad.

SPICED TUNA STEAKS WITH FENNEL AND RED PEPPERS

Steps:

• Lightly brush tuna steaks with some additional oil and season with salt. Crush fennel seeds and peppercorns coarse in a mortar with a pestle and press onto both sides of tuna steaks. Let tuna steaks stand on a plate 10 minutes.
• In a heavy non-stick skillet sauté fennel bulb in 1 1/2 tablespoons oil over moderately high heat, stirring, until golden. Add bell pepper and garlic and sauté 1 minute. Add water and simmer vegetables, covered, 10 minutes, or until fennel is tender. Remove lid and, if necessary, boil mixture until liquid is nearly evaporated. Add lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste and keep warm.
• While fennel mixture is cooking, brush a heavy skillet, preferably cast-iron, with some additional oil and heat over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Sauté tuna steaks 2 minutes on each side, or until barely pink in center, for medium meat. Transfer tuna steaks to plates and spoon fennel-pepper mixture over and around them.

GRILLED TUNA AND FENNEL WITH LEMON-MINT VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Preheat a charcoal grill or a broiler. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, lemon juice, soy sauce and salt. Set aside.
• Place the fennel in a large microwave-safe bowl, cover with plastic wrap and microwave on high until the fennel just begins to become tender, about 6 to 7 minutes. Drain the fennel and brush it lightly with the oil-and-lemon mixture. Grill or broil until lightly browned and very tender, about 8 to 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, brush the tuna with some of the oil-and-lemon mixture and grill or broil until seared but red in the center, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a platter and surround with the fennel. Combine the herbs with the remaining oil-and-lemon mixture and pour it over the tuna. Serve immediately.

HOLD-THE-MAYO TUNA MELTS WITH FENNEL AND ONIONS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Place garlic and the juice of one lemon in a bowl and whisk in 3 tablespoons olive oil; season with plenty of pepper.
• Heat the remaining olive oil over medium high heat; add sliced onion and fennel cook until tender crisp, about 6 to 7 minutes, season with pepper.
• Add tuna to the dressing, then combine with chopped onion, capers, olives, parsley, and fennel fronds, tossing to combine.
• Divide tuna mixture among the bread slices, then top with the fennel and onion mixture; top with the cheese, then bake in oven until the bread is toasted, the tuna warm, and the cheese melted and slightly browned, about 15 minutes.

TUNA MELT

Steps:

• Combine ½ medium onion, thinly sliced, and 1 cup seasoned rice vinegar in a small bowl. Set aside.
• Gently mix two 5-oz. cans tuna packed in olive oil, drained, ¼ cup mayonnaise, 2 Tbsp. chopped celery, and 1 Tbsp. chopped pickles in a medium bowl until just combined. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.
• Heat a dry large cast-iron skillet over medium-low. Spread mayonnaise over 1 side of 2 slices sourdough bread. Place bread, mayo side down, in skillet; top 1 bread slice with 2 slices sharp cheddar. Cover with a lid and cook until bread is golden brown underneath and cheese is melted, about 4 minutes. (The cheese should form a crispy skirt around the bread.)
• Uncover skillet and top bread with melted cheddar with one fourth of tuna salad, then some drained reserved pickled onion. Close up sandwich and gently press down on sandwich with a spatula. Transfer to a cutting board and slice in half on a diagonal. Repeat cooking process 3 more times with more mayonnaise and remaining tuna salad, pickled onion, 6 slices sourdough bread, and 6 slices sharp cheddar to make 3 more sandwiches.
• Serve sandwiches on plates with dill pickle spears if desired.

SEARED TUNA, ROASTED TOMATOES & FENNEL WITH A OLIVE SAUCE

Steps:

• Sauce -- Start to prepare the sauce. In a large NOT non stick pan which you will be cooking the tuna in add the fennel seeds over medium and just toast a few minutes to get lightly toasted. No oil, just a dry pan and will only take a minute. Remove when toasted and just set to the side.
• Now if you don't have fennel seeds, don't panic. The dish will taste just fine. I just like that additional layer of flavor but don't worry and don't make a extra trip to the store just for them. They do however make a great additional to your spice cabinet.
• Tuna -- Remove tuna from the fridge to take some of the chill off. I like to cook mine more and room temperature. Prepare all your vegetables. For the fennel, remove the green parts and slice like a onion.
• Vegetables -- Roast your tomatoes and fennel in a 400 degree oven. On a cookie sheet covered with foil or parchment paper, lightly drizzle your tomatoes and fennel with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast 10 minutes, just until slightly brown and the tomatoes start to soften. Don't over cook you still want them fresh tasting.
• Tuna round II -- As the tomatoes and fennel cook, start your tuna. Season well with salt and pepper and in that same pan you toasted the fennel seeds heat on medium high heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Sear the tuna until it gets a nice crust on one side without moving. Should take 3-5 minutes depending on the thickness. Thinner cuts will take much less and you do not want to over cook it. Flip over and the second size will take even less time. You want it rare - medium rare, so I usually remove when rare. Set to the side and cover with foil as you make the sauce.
• Olive sauce -- in the pan that you cooked the tuna in, add the garlic and shallot and cook just a minute also on medium to medium high heat. You can add a little extra olive oil if necessary, but you shouldn't need any. Then add the white wine and red pepper flakes. Let cook another minute to reduce slightly. Then add the olives, lemon juice, zest, any additional salt and pepper if needed, but olives are salty so be careful. The last thing, stir in the fennel seeds and then just let simmer on medium for another minute just to slightly reduce. Remember, this is a thin sauce, not a gravy.
• Plate it up! If using a salad like I mentioned in the description, I would plate the salad, then top with the tuna. Top with a slice or two of the tomatoes and a few fennel slices. Then drizzle the olive sauce over the whole thing. ENJOY!

OLIVE CHEESE MELTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• In a medium-size mixing bowl, combine olives, green onions, Cheddar cheese, curry powder, mayonnaise, and salt. Mix well.
• Spread mixture on English muffins. Cut the English muffins into fourths. Note: If you want to freeze these, now is the time! Arrange the muffin pieces on a cookie sheet.
• Bake at 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) for 10 minutes.

PROVENCAL TUNA MELT

Steps:

• Drain about 1/2 of the olive oil from the tuna. Scrape tuna and remaining oil into a mixing bowl. Add bell pepper, scallions, capers, and thyme. Add lemon juice, mayonnaise, and red pepper flakes. Stir gently to combine.
• Set an oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven's broiler.
• Lay bread slices crust-sides up on an unlined baking sheet. Brush with olive oil. Broil until nicely browned, about 1 minute.
• Turn bread slices over with tongs and divide the tuna filling between 2 slices. Arrange Asiago cheese over the other two slices. Return to broiler. Heat until cheese is bubbly and golden brown and filling is hot, about 2 minutes.
• Remove from oven. Use tongs to turn the cheese-topped slices over on top of those spread with filling. Slice tuna melts in half and serve immediately.