Best Olive Oil Poached Tuna Melts Recipes

OLIVE OIL-POACHED TUNA

Steps:

• Let tuna rest at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Combine garlic, thyme, and red pepper flakes in a heavy skillet. Pour olive oil into skillet to reach a depth of 1 inch. Heat oil over medium heat until garlic and thyme begin to sizzle, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Place tuna gently in hot oil and reduce heat to low. Cook steaks in hot oil, spooning oil over the top of the steaks constantly, until fish is white and hot, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat, transfer steaks to a baking dish, and pour hot oil and herbs over the fish. Cool fish and oil to room temperature.
• Wrap baking dish tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate steaks for 24 hours. Remove fish from oil and sprinkle sea salt over the top.

OLIVE OIL-POACHED ALBACORE TUNA

Steps:

• Season the tuna by sprinkling it with salt; set the tuna aside while you prepare the oil (this has the added benefit of taking the refrigerated chill off the tuna before cooking it.
• Choose a medium frying pan or large saucepan big enough to hold the fish in a single layer. Add enough oil to come about 1/2 inch up the pan.
• Add the garlic, peppercorns, bay leaf, orange or lemon zest, and chile (if using).
• Warm the oil over medium-low heat just until bubbles form on the sides of the pan. Add the tuna; use a spatula or kitchen tongs to gently lower each filet into the oil, taking care not to drop the fish in or splatter the hot oil.
• The oil should cover the tuna (if it doesn't follow the directions in parentheses). Adjust the heat to maintain those few bubbles on the sides of the pan. Gently simmer until the tuna's cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes for a 1 inch-thick piece of tuna (if the oil doesn't quite cover your filets, you may want to flip the fish over at the half-way point. While the fish cooks, set a cooling rack over a rimmed baking sheet or layers of papers towels; or simply line a plate of a few layers of paper towels.
• Use a spatula or slotted spoon to lift the tuna out of the oil and onto the prepared cooling rack or towels to drain. Serve the filets whole for diners to cut up themselves; slice them to serve; or, flake the filets into something that resembles canned tuna. * Look for line-caught Pacific albacore tuna as it is a well-managed and sustainable fishery . Also, albacore caught this way tend to have very low levels of mercury built up in their systems.

OLIVE OIL POACHED TUNA INFUSED WITH THYME, LEMON, AND SHALLOTS

Steps:

• Season the tuna with salt and pepper and set aside. Combine the oil, thyme, lemon, garlic, red pepper and shallots in a large saucepot. Warm the oil over medium heat until it reaches 130 degrees F. Let the flavors steep for 10 minutes. Re-test the temperature, adjusting the heat, if necessary. Submerge the tuna in the olive oil poaching liquid and cook until it is firm and medium-rare, approximately 5 minutes.
• Remove the tuna from the oil. Slice each piece. Arrange the tuna medallions over stewed lentils accompanied by sauteed broccoli rabe. Serve seasoned with Fleur de Sel and moistened with the olive oil poaching liquid.
• Place the lentils in a pot. Add enough cold water to cover them by 2 inches. Season the water with salt then simmer the lentils over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until the lentils are chewy, about 15 minutes. Drain the lentils and reserve.
• Heat the olive oil in a medium pot, over medium-low flame. Add the shallots, garlic, crushed red pepper, and rosemary. Cook stirring frequently until the shallots and garlic are golden, about 10 minutes. Add the tomato puree and cook until it begins to concentrate, about 7 minutes. Then add the lentils. Stew the lentils in the sauce over a very low flame until they are fully tender but still holding their shape, about 10 minutes. Serve warm.

TUNA POACHED IN OLIVE OIL

Steps:

• Season tuna with salt. Stir 3 cups oil, the lemon zest, garlic, and thyme in a medium saucepan. Add tuna and more oil to cover tuna by 1/2 inch if needed. Set over medium-low heat. Cook, covered, until tuna is opaque, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from heat; let cool completely. Tuna in oil can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 3 days.
• To serve, remove tuna from cooking oil with tongs; transfer to paper towels to drain. Discard cooking oil. Flake into 2-inch pieces. Drizzle with oil; sprinkle with pepper. Serve with lemon and the tomato-olive salad. Garnish with thyme.

OLIVE OIL POACHED ALBACORE TUNA, REMOULADE, AND CHEDDAR CHEESE SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Place the rosemary, bay leaves, and lemon slices along the bottom of a medium saucepan. Arrange the tuna on top, and pour the oil over to cover completely. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Cook over low heat for about 8 to 10 minutes, until the first bubble appears in the oil. (It should still be cool enough to be able to dip your finger in it.)
• Immediately remove the pan from the heat, flip each piece of fish over, and cover the pan with a lid. Allow the tuna to sit in the warm oil for about 5 to 10 minutes, until it's cooked all the way through. Remove the tuna and refrigerate. Strain the oil and reserve for the Remoulade, chilling it for at least 30 minutes, or until cooled to room temperature.
• Prepare Remoulade, as described in the recipe below.
• Place the tuna in a medium bowl and, using your fingers, flake it into large chunks. Add 3/4 cup of the Remoulade and mix to combine. Season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice, to taste. If you like, add the remaining Remoulade.
• Adjust the oven rack to the upper position, and preheat the boiler.
• Toast the bread, and the rub 1 side of each slice with the garlic clove. Place on a baking sheet, garlic side up.
• Pile the tuna unevenly over the bread. Crumble the cheese and scatter it unevenly over the center, leaving a 1-inch border of tuna around the edge. Heat under the broiler for about 30 seconds, until the cheese is melted. Squeeze a few drops of lemon juice over and sprinkle with chives.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer or in a medium stainless steel bowl, whisk the egg yolk, salt, and mustard by hand. Slowly drizzle in the oil, drop by drop, whisking constantly. As the mixture begins to thicken, add a teaspoon each of the lemon juice and water.
• Once you've added almost half of the oil, place the bowl in the mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and mix on medium speed, or continue to whisk in the oil by hand. Pour the oil in a slow, steady trickle, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. As the mixture thickens, add a little more of the lemon juice and water, and continue whisking until the remaining oil is completely incorporated and the sauce is thickened.
• Stir in the red onion, capers, cornichons, tarragon, and parsley. Season with lemon juice and salt, to taste.

HOME CURED TUNA IN OLIVE OIL

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.
• In a baking dish just large enough to hold the tuna in 1 layer, place the tuna and sprinkle generously with the salt on both sides. Add the garlic, oregano and marjoram, then add enough olive oil to completely cover the tuna. Cover with aluminum foil and place in the oven. Cook until the tuna is thoroughly cooked and flakes easily, 3 to 4 hours.
• Carefully remove the baking dish from the oven and set on a rack to cool completely. Transfer the tuna, with enough oil to cover, to jars, and refrigerate until ready to use, up to 2 months in advance.
• Alternatively, tuna may be transferred to sterile mason jars and filled with olive oil within 1/2-inch of the top and processed in a hot water bath for 10 minutes, cooled, and stored at room temperature for up to 6 months. Jars may also be refrigerated for up to 6 months.

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.