This week I’m turning my attention to tuna, an ingredient I’ve been using a lot lately and one you’ll find on many restaurant menus around the country. It’s available to buy in any decent fishmonger but isn’t something too many of us consider cooking at home. For the most part, it is packed with flavour, simple to prepare and cook, high in protein and completely lean.
Tuna cannot be caught and landed in Irish water, bar a very small by-catch quota. It can, however, be caught, tagged and released for research purposes in our waters. In late summer and early autumn, shoals of bluefin tuna can be seen hunting bait fish along the Atlantic coast.
To see them in action is a sight to behold. These fish are the equivalent of a Ferrari when it comes to maritime design. Bluefins can reach speeds of up to 65km per hour and weigh up to 900 pounds. Large specimens will grow to four metres in length. On calmer days, you’ll see these hunters skimming the water’s surface at high speed, hoovering up sprat, mackerel and sand eels. All this work makes for lean, deep-coloured meat.
In Japan, where high-grade tuna is highly prized for sashimi and sushi, a single fish can sell for many hundreds of thousands of euro. The cooking part is easy. In fact, if you manage to secure high-quality tuna, I would suggest not cooking it at all. The first recipe here follows this lead – a simple Mexican inspired tostada topped with guacamole, dressed tuna tartare and a generous amount of seasoning. The result is a flavour explosion; crispy corn tortilla offers the base with acidic avocado, the beautiful tuna meat and a dressing made with coriander, chilli and lime. I use authentic corn tortillas which make a huge difference – Fallon and Byrne or Picado Mexican pantry do good ones, you can also buy them online. Failing that, a good back-up is high-quality tortilla crisps, my favourite being Blanco Nino, which are produced in Co Tipperary. These tostadas can be served up to share as a starter or assembled for a more refined style of service or dinner “soireé” – definitely the appropriate dish for such a notional word.
The second recipe is a little more “midweek chic”. Niçoise salad hails from the south of France and incorporates Mediterranean summer ingredients in principle. Like many regional dishes, the exact make-up is hotly debated. As far as my research goes, it should include green beans, tomatoes, anchovies, olives and eggs. Many varieties include some seared tuna, which fits neatly into this week’s theme. I sear the tuna lightly on both sides before slicing. It should be medium-raw in the middle. A nice level of acidity is delivered by a dressing made with a high quality olive oil base. Capers and olives pack the punch of seasoning needed. This is a perfect, quick dinner that delivers big on flavour, using great ingredients and with plenty of nutrition to boot. Thank God for tuna.
