Author Notes
Its fun to make your own tuna - sort of a project. Its similar to any preserving method and takes a bit of time, but the end product can be superior to what you buy (unless you are buying something expensive from Spain, then its pretty hard to beat). Anyways, find yourself a piece of Tuna and make sure its line caught Tuna and not bluefin, preferably albacore. The loin is a good piece to use. The process is to salt and spice it. Leave it for a few hours and then cook it very slowly in olive oil. —The Perennial Plate
Ingredients
-
2 pounds
albacore tuna loin
-
1 1/2 tablespoons
kosher salt
-
1 teaspoon
white pepper
-
1 teaspoon
sugar
-
zest of 2 lemons
-
3 sprigs
thyme
-
2
cloves garlic
Directions
-
Cut the tuna into a few equal sized pieces. Equally distribute the salt, pepper, sugar and lemon zest. Wrap in plastic wrap and let sit for a good 5 or 6 hours. Rinse off the salt after 6 hours.
-
Tightly pack the tuna, garlic, thyme and lemon zest in a baking dish and pour over olive oil to cover the tuna. Bake at 225-250 for an hour. Remove from the oven and let rest until it reaches room temperature. Store the tuna in the oil until ready to use.
-
Serve on top of a salad on toast or as you would any tuna (minus the mayo - none needed).
Chef & activist Daniel Klein and cameragirl Mirra Fine are road-tripping around the United States, filming and editing The Perennial Plate -- an online weekly documentary series dedicated to socially responsible and adventurous eating -- as they go. See below for Perennial Plate's recipes, shared weekly with food52 from the road!
See what other Food52ers are saying.