Tuna: the recipes to make it the protagonist of your table

Here are our tips for getting the most out of your tuna recipes, an ingredient that is often used fresh in the Italian tradition.

We are so used to considering only canned tuna that we often overlook the potential of a fresh tuna steak. That's why today we want to make tuna the protagonist of delicious recipes, all united by an extreme simplicity of preparation . Whether it's fresh or frozen tuna, it doesn't matter: from appetizers to main courses through the great classics, we'll show you the versatility of this ingredient. In fact, many do not even suspect that you can prepare homemade tuna in oil or that pasta with fresh tuna is as simple as it is tasty.

• Recipes with fresh tuna
  • tartare
  • Pasta
  • Sesame tuna
  • In oil
  • Baked

How to cook fresh tuna: recipes

Clearly, as with any piece of fish, even in the case of tuna there is no single way to cook it . Fresh tuna in recipes can be used in many ways and they don't necessarily have to include cooking. The fresh blast chilled tuna can be eaten raw in the form of tartare or used to recreate typical dishes of Japanese cuisine such as sushi and sashimi.

However, the tuna meat is very delicate so whatever cooking technique you choose, it is important not to exceed the timing. Once you have bought a slice of fresh bright red fish, it's really a shame to turn it into a dry and stringy dish. Let yourself be guided by our recipes so as not to make a single move wrong !

Tuna tartare

Apparently the simplest recipe of all, the tuna tartare hides some pitfalls. First, make sure that the tuna steak purchased is not only fresh, but has also been blast chilled . If this is not the case, or you are in doubt, put it in the freezer (provided yours manages to reach a temperature no higher than -20°C) for 96 hours before using it.

Once defrosted it is necessary to proceed with the cut , rigorously with a knife: any electronic device would reduce the meat to a puree. Finally there is the sauce and, as you can imagine, there are many recipes that can be prepared with bluefin tuna. Here's our favourite.

Ingredients for 4 people:

• 1 avocado
• 400 g of fresh tuna fillet
• 1 lime
• 4 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons shelled pistachios
• extra virgin olive oil to taste
• Salt to taste
• tabasco to taste

Cut the tuna into very small cubes and transfer it to a bowl to season it with the juice of half a lime, the soy sauce, a few drops of tabasco and a pinch of salt. Keep it aside and also cut the peeled and pitted avocado into cubes, then dress it with lime juice. With the help of a pastry cutter , form a first layer of avocado on four different plates, then cover it with the tuna tartare and finally decorate with shelled, toasted and coarsely chopped pistachios .

This is just one of the many ways to cook raw tuna. Check out our other tuna tartare recipes to find your favorite!

Pasta with fresh tuna

Say goodbye to tuna cans (at least for once) and try pasta with fresh tuna. You will discover how intense and delicate the flavor of fresh tuna is at the same time and you will bring to the table a first course of fish worthy of the best restaurants. Have you always been looking for a recipe with tuna fillet that was amateur-proof? Here it is ready for you!

Ingredients for 2 people:

• 200 g of fresh tuna
• 200 g of linguini
• 20 pitted black olives
• 3 sprigs of parsley
• 150 g of chopped tomato pulp
• 2 tablespoon of EVO oil
• 30 g of golden onion
• 1 pinch of sugar
• Salt to taste
• Pepper as needed

Start by browning the chopped onion in the oil in a pan for a few minutes before adding the diced tuna. Cook it for just a couple of minutes then transfer it to a plate and put a drizzle of oil, the cherry tomatoes, the olives, the sugar and a pinch of salt in the same pan. Leave to go for about ten minutes and in the meantime boil the pasta in plenty of salted water. Once ready, drain and toss it in a pan with the tomato, add the tuna and complete with freshly chopped parsley.

We also recommend trying pasta with zucchini and tuna cream : a summer first course that will convince everyone! You can also learn more about this preparation in our article on tuna pasta .

Sesame tuna

Another tuna fillet recipe that you should definitely try is tuna with sesame . Ideal if you want to cook fresh tuna in a pan, it is very scenic due to the play of colors created by the two types of sesame seeds. Also in this case you can use both fresh blast chilled and defrosted tuna: the result will still be amazing.

Ingredients for 4 people:

• 800 g of tuna in slices
• 2 tablespoons of sesame seeds
• 2 cloves of garlic
• extra virgin olive oil to taste
• Salt to taste
• pepper as needed
• chives to taste
• parsley to taste

Place the tuna steaks side by side in a baking dish and marinate with garlic, oil, salt, pepper and aromatic herbs for 30 minutes, covered with plastic wrap and in the refrigerator. Then drain it from the liquid and pass it in the white and black sesame seeds , pressing gently so that they stick together, then heat a non-stick pan and pour a drizzle of oil. Cook the tuna steaks in a pan for 3 minutes on each side and serve with a squeeze of lemon juice.

For an extra touch of flavour, try the recipe with balsamic vinegar : it's really delicious!

Tuna in oil

No, we are not talking about the canned one. You will have understood that the protagonist of our recipes today is fresh tuna, so we are about to reveal how to prepare homemade tuna in oil . If you have always thought that this was not possible, you will discover that with a few simple steps and even fewer ingredients, you will have a durable preserve (it can be kept in the pantry for up to 3 months) perfect for creating delicious recipes or to be enjoyed on its own.

Ingredients for 4 people:

• 800 g of fresh tuna
• 1 liter of water
• 75 g of salt
• extra virgin olive oil to taste

First, wash the tuna steak very well in order to remove any residual blood. Then fill a saucepan with water and salt, bring to the boil and dip the tuna into it, continuing to cook for the next 60 minutes. If you like, you can perfume the water with aromatic herbs, spices or citrus peel. Drain it and leave it in the refrigerator overnight to dry completely. The following day distribute the tuna inside the sterilized jars , reducing it to chunks with your hands. Cover with oil , close and boil for 30 minutes. Once cooled, your jars of tuna can be placed in the pantry.

Baked tuna

You should cook tuna in the oven whenever you are looking for a simple, spectacular second course of fish and also suitable for those who do not like this ingredient very much. In fact, the tuna steak in the oven responds to all these characteristics and to obtain an optimal cooking, not at all stringy, a cooking thermometer is sufficient. In this recipe with tuna, however, it is essential to choose fresh blast chilled fish or defrosted fish to be sure of not incurring food risks. That said, let's see how to proceed.

Ingredients for 4 people:

• 4 tuna steaks of 200 g
• 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 glass of white wine
• Salt to taste
• Lemon juice to taste

First, heat a pan suitable for cooking in the oven directly over the heat. Add the oil and brown the tuna on all sides, turning it as soon as it has changed colour. Deglaze with the white wine and immediately transfer the pan to the oven, preheated to 150°C . Cook it until the core temperature , measured with a kitchen thermometer, is 40°C . Serve it simply by cutting it into slices and dressing it with a squeeze of lemon.

What do you think of the use we have made of tuna in the proposed recipes?

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