One of the problems with sushi bars is that they have weaned us away
from enjoying cooked fresh tuna. I know some restaurants serve grilled
tuna studded with black pepper or accompanied by some exotic fruit
salsa – de rigueur for any California joint that sells fresh fish. But
really that’s about all the variety you get in most joints. But you are
really missing something if you haven’t tried a real tuna fish
sandwich. The great thing about sautéing tuna is that it really soaks
up the flavors in which it is cooked. Here’s a recipe I have every
summer during albacore season but you can use any fish in the tuna
family. This recipe borrows from Italy, Mexico and Japan.
Tuna Ingredients
12-16 ounces of fresh tuna cut into 2 equal pieces
juice of 2 medium lemons
2 minced garlic cloves
2 green onions cut into about 1/4 inch pieces
1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger (about an inch piece grated)
2 roma tomatoes thinly sliced
1/4 cup minced Kalamata olives
1 small to medium minced jalapeño pepper
1 teaspoon Kosher or coarse salt
2 tablespoon sherry or sake
olive oil or grapeseed oil
My mother stayed with us during her recent visit from back east. She
emerged early each day from the back bedroom in need of coffee. In the
kitchen she would find me up to my elbows in three-grain biscuit dough
or in the midst of mixing a large oven baked pancake, or perhaps
dropping oatmeal scones onto a cookie sheet. I was always in the midst
of something made from scratch, time consuming and terrifically messy.
