JBug's Kitchen Antics

Tuna Puttanesca

Unless you're new to this site, you know we brought back some Albacore Tuna with us from Oregon in July because we've talked about it before. Right off the boat, fresh tuna loins freeze beautifully and possess a totally different texture and flavor than the stuff you find in a can. 

This time I placed the defrosted loin into a little sundried tomato and basil vinaigrette courtesy of our friends at Kraft and it marinated for a few hours before it hit the grill. Ten minutes total and the loin was perfectly cooked - slightly rare on the inside and a little crusty outside. (A hint from the wise - do not overcook the tuna or it will be sawdust dry, and there's nothing you can do about it. No amount of sauce or lemon juice can rescue this fish if you've left it on the fire for too long.)

Served with a puttanesca sauce made from kalamata olives, capers, garlic, red pepper flakes, a couple of anchovies and some drained canned tomatoes, all on a bed of garlicky sauteed spinach, it was really a light and perfect summer Sunday meal. 

Incidentally, my inspiration came from Cooking Light via myrecipes.com; however, as you'll see when you hit the link, I made a few changes as usual. It was our token "moderation" dish this week and honestly it was great on the spinach but man oh man would it be fabulous served on a bed of linguini or fettucine if you're so inclined. Oh and in case you're looking for a few more ideas on how to serve up that gorgeous fresh sea chicken, check these out while you're at it. 

            Albacore Tuna Tacos                Orange Sesame with Hoisin Sauce      

   

Tuna Puttanesca (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Cooking Light via myrecipes.com)

1 albacore tuna loin, approximately 1-1/2 pounds

1/2 cup sundried tomato and basil vinaigrette (I used Kraft)

1/4 cup kalamata olives, pitted and halved

1 tablespoon capers

3 cloves garlic, minced

Juice of half a lemon

3 anchovy filets, chopped

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 – 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, drained

Salt & course ground black pepper

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Place tuna and vinaigrette in a zip top bag and marinated for 2 hours. Remove from bag and discard marinade. To cook, place tuna on barbecue and grill for approximately 10 minutes total or until crisp on the outside and rare to medium rare inside. Let rest briefly before slicing.

Meanwhile combine olives, capers, garlic, lemon, anchovy, red pepper flakes and diced tomatoes in a shallow sauté pan and heat for 5 to 7 minutes. Taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper as needed. Toss in parsley just before plating. Serve tuna slices topped with sauce. Serve on pasta or a bed of sautéed spinach (or both). Makes 4 servings.

A year ago - Blue Cheese Grits with Veggies & Chicken Sausage

Two year's ago - Pasta with Lamb Ragout

Orange Sesame Albacore Tuna with Hoisin on Curried Rice Salad

Peanut butter and jelly; thunder and lightening; horse and carriage. What do these things have in common? Are you stumped?  They go with each other beautifully - I mean who has a peanut butter sandwich without the jelly?

That's what we thought about our dinner last night. Everything went together beautifully - from the fish to the curried rice salad right on down to the shredded spinach and grilled peach. It was a perfect marriage of flavor, texture, color and taste. Modest aren't we?

 

The recipe for the tuna came from the Oregon Albacore Commission which is rather fitting since the tuna came fresh off a boat at dock in Newport, Oregon. We brought the fish home to Tucson in a cooler loaded with other precious Oregon products all on dry ice. If I'd known how darn tasty it was going to be, we'd have come home with another one too - ya, think I can talk Big Guy into going back for one? It's only 1435.7 miles - 23 hours and 51 minutes. Heck, we could go there and back in a weekend but who on earth would want to leave that quickly. It is beautiful there!

The loin is marinated in a mixture of orange juice, sesame oil, mustard, fresh tarragon and sesame seeds for a few hours then grilled for about 9 minutes total. Brushed with hoisin during the last few minutes of cooking, it almost glows when it comes off the grill. 

Allowed it to rest for a few minutes, then sliced and perched on top of a curried rice salad that I threw together with ingredients hiding in the pantry and fridge, darned if it wasn't just the most perfect thing you can imagine.

If you're lucky enough to find fresh Albacore tuna, you've absolutely got to give this one a try. Albacore is way more than just a fish you find in a can and totally different in texture and flavor than sushi kind (Ahi). The marinade and hoisin glaze would work well with shrimp or halibut or even cod too. Just don't marinate them for too long otherwise the juice will "cook" the fish and you'll have something resembling ceviche which is really a whole other thing!

Hit the link and head to the Oregon Albacore Commission's site to see the recipe. We discarded the marinade rather than brushing the loin with it as it cooked - I kind of have a thing about doing that, but the flavor is not to be believed. By the way, don't forget the fresh tarragon either. The mildly sweet anise flavor is amazingly present in the tuna and definitely not in a bad way. It's a real keeper!

Curried Rice Salad (an original from JBug’s Kitchen)

2 cups cooked basmati rice, chilled (I used leftovers)

5 assorted mini sweet bell peppers, seeded and chopped

1/4 cup finely chopped red onion

1/4 cup raisins

1/4 cup toasted almonds

2 tablespoons candied ginger, finely chopped

4 tablespoons olive oil

1-1/2 tablespoon white vinegar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/3 cup prepared mango chutney

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon curry powder

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a large bowl combine rice, peppers, onion, raisins, nuts and candied ginger. In a small jar with a tight fitting lid, combine olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, chutney, garlic and curry powder. Cover jar and shake well to mix. Pour over rice mixture in a bowl and taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper as required. Refrigerate until serving time. 

A year ago - Maple Ginger Pork Medallions and Salad with Creamy Maple Dressing

Two year's ago - Teriyaki Salmon on Spicy Thai Noodle Salad

 

Three year's ago -  Black Bottom Banana Cream Pie

 

 

Albacore Tuna Tacos with Avocado Cream

Fresh Albacore Tuna isn’t anywhere near the same as the stuff you find in the can and that’s the God’s honest truth. You could have knocked me over with a feather the first time I had it fresh because raised on a farm in Northern Ontario, Canada tuna of the fresh variety was only something I read about.

We hit the dock in Newport a couple of days ago and bought a whole fresh 11 pound fish right off the boat it came in on. The fisherman even cleaned it for us and so we came home with 4 lovely loins of boneless meat.

We marinated a loin for a couple of hours in purchased Sun Dried Tomato and Basil vinaigrette, courtesy of Kraft Co. and Big Guy grilled it outside on the gas barbecue. Flaked and loaded into corn tortillas along with cabbage slaw, peach and mango salsa, a few slivers of red onion and some avocado cream, it’s a meal fit for Neptune himself.

Here’s the recipe for the cream that we’ve had here before thanks to John Conley of Salsa Brava fame.  Not only is it stellar on fish tacos, but used as a dip or slathered on chicken chimies  or even moistening leftover tuna in a salad sandwich – it’s all yummy in the tummy.

I have a suspicion that when you give it a try, you’ll be keeping some in the refrigerator at all times.

Avocado Cream (adapted from John Conley, Salsa Brava Cochina)

1 cup sour cream

Juice of 2 limes

1/2 cup plain yogurt

1 avocado, pit and skin removed

Salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste

Place all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. Store covered in an airtight container in refrigerator.