Tavira Tuna Steaks Recipes

SEARED TUNA STEAK

Steps:

• Smash up the chilli and the coriander seeds in a pestle and mortar.
• Peel and chop the garlic, pick and finely chop the herb leaves and add it all to the pestle and mortar with a drizzle of oil and lemon juice, to taste. Mix together, and season with sea salt and black pepper.
• Lay out your tuna steaks on a tray, season both sides and rub all over with the herb mixture.
• There are two nice ways to cook it: I prefer to cook it on a griddle pan or in a frying pan.
• Your pan should be very, very hot. Put in the tuna and what you want to do is sear it so that it toasts, fries and browns (about 45 to 60 seconds on each side).
• Once cooked, I like to rip the steaks in half and serve with salad and chips or boiled potatoes and a big wedge of lemon. It's quite sexy sometimes with some marinated sun-dried tomatoes, olives, basil... The possibilities are endless.

MARINATED TUNA STEAK

Steps:

• In a large non-reactive dish, mix together the orange juice, soy sauce, olive oil, lemon juice, parsley, garlic, oregano, and pepper. Place the tuna steaks in the marinade and turn to coat. Cover, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
• Preheat grill for high heat.
• Lightly oil grill grate. Cook the tuna steaks for 5 to 6 minutes, then turn and baste with the marinade. Cook for an additional 5 minutes, or to desired doneness. Discard any remaining marinade.

SAVORY PAN-SEARED TUNA STEAKS

Steps:

• Mix soy sauce, olive oil, lemon juice, sesame oil, molasses, cayenne pepper, ginger, and garlic together in a bowl.
• Place tuna steaks in a large resealable bag or airtight container; pour marinade over steaks. Marinate steaks at room temperature for 20 minutes.
• Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat. Remove steaks from marinade and arrange in the hot pan; gently shake pan to avoid sticking. Cook approximately 1 1/2 minutes and flip. Cook other side until tuna is desired doneness, 1 to 2 more minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 140 degrees F (60 degrees C).

SICILIAN TUNA STEAKS IN SPICY SAUCE

Steps:

• Set a skillet pan big enough to hold all four steaks over a high heat with 2 tablespoons olive oil.
• As the oil is heating, sprinkle a level teaspoon of the ground sea salt over both sides of the tuna steaks - that's one level teaspoon for all four steaks - not a teaspoon for each one.
• As soon as the oil starts smoking, cut the heat back to medium-high and add the tuna steaks. Let them sizzle away for two minutes, then turn them and cook for another two minutes. Turn off the heat and let the steaks sit in the skillet whilst you make the sauce.
• Heat three level tablespoons of olive oil in a medium-sized pot (that will take a lid) over medium heat. Add the sliced strips of red bell pepper, stir well to coat them with the olive oil and turn the heat down to low-medium. Cover the pot with its lid. The peppers need to soften, but not brown at all. So, keep them slowly cooking for 10 minutes with some regular stirring.
• Add the chopped cherry tomatoes, the sliced garlic, the sugar, and ground sea salt. Cook for another five minutes on that low-medium heat - stirring now and then - until the cherry tomatoes lose most of their body.
• Now add all the sauce's remaining ingredients (including those chili peppers), stir it all together, and let the sauce gently simmer for another 10 minutes. Turn off the heat. Done.
• Melt the butter in a medium-size pot over a low heat and add the sliced garlic and sea salt. Stir the pot and let the garlic release its flavor into the butter - about 3 minutes over a stirred low heat. The garlic must not brown.
• Add all of the spinach. It'll be a bit of crush to get it into the pot - that's ideal - pile it in and put the lid on. After two minutes, stir the spinach so that it all picks up a coating of the buttery garlic. Put the lid back on and let the spinach cook for another two minutes. Then stir the spinach again, put the lid back and let it cook for another two minutes. Turn off the heat and keep the lid on so the spinach retains its heat as you finish cooking the tuna in the sauce.
• Put the skillet with the seared, partly cooked tuna steaks onto a medium heat and pour the sauce over them. Lift the steaks a little so that they sit in the surrounding sauce as it heats. As soon as the sauce starts to bubble, turn the heat to low and let the steaks finish their cooking for about six minutes at a very gentle simmer in the sauce. They'll then be ready to serve - straight from the skillet, with the emerald green spinach presented alongside.

FRESH TUNA STEAKS IN THE MANNER OF TAVIRA

Steps:

• 1. Using a mortar and pestle, pound the garlic, salt, 2 tablespoons of the coriander, and the pepper to a paste; blend in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil.
• 2. Rub the mixture on both sides of each tuna steak and lay the steaks in a 9 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish. Mix 2 tablespoons of the remaining coriander with 1/4 cup of the remaining oil, the wine, and lemon juice. Pour evenly over the tuna, cover, and marinate in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
• 3. When ready to cook, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large heavy skillet over high heat until ripples appear on the skillet bottom; add the tuna and brown about 3 minutes on each side, keeping the heat high.
• 4. Meanwhile, strain the marinade, warm in a small saucepan over moderate heat, and stir in the remaining 1/4 cup chopped coriander.
• 5. Serve sizzling hot with a little of the hot marinade spooned over each portion. Accompany with sun-ripened tomatoes, cut into wedges or rounds, and crisp slices of cucumber -- both drizzled with olive oil and vinegar.
• 6. Variation On the grill When ready to cook, make a hot charcoal fire, and when it burns down, leaving coals covered with white ash, adjust the grill so that it is about 6 inches above the coals. Brush the tuna steaks well with the marinade. Strain the remaining marinade into a little saucepan and set to one side of the grill so that it will heat as the tuna grills. Grill the tuna 3 to 4 minutes on each side, brushing often with the marinade, just until cooked through. Stir the remaining chopped coriander into the marinade, top each portion with a generous spoonful of it, and serve.