Sicilian Tuna Steaks

My daughter kept telling me that we needed to check out the tuna steaks they have at Aldi - good price and great quality.  Well, this past week we bought some. She suggested a method she and my son-in-law use that sounded great. They use a particular peppercorn as a key ingredient they found at an Asian food store. We didn't have any of those peppercorns so decided to look on line for other interesting ways to cook the tuna. We found a few we thought would be good and made some modifications.

Fresh tuna steaks, the thicker the better, are best done seared in a screaming hot cast iron skillet for just a few minutes per side.  They are usually served with a simple sauce. This version is different and this is no ordinary sauce. After searing the tuna, it is briefly and gently simmered in a tomato-based aromatic sweet and sour sauce. 

The recipes we liked used these ingredients - dried fruit (golden raisins), tomatoes, lemons, capers, olives and pine nuts and are ingredients found in southern Italian and particularly Sicilian cooking. We've used all of them in other recipes but we improvised a little. We used some dried tangerines instead of raisins. Trader Joe’s sells them as well as Amazon of course and if you haven’t tried them, you’re missing out on a real treat and they went perfectly with this dish.

Briefly, here's how it's done - 

Quickly sear the tuna steaks, and set them aside.

Sauté the onions and garlic in some olive oil until the onions soften slightly.  

Add the white wine and let cook down for a couple minutes. 

Add the tomatoes, capers, olives, lemon zest and dried tangerine. Simmer this mixture for a few minutes to let the juice thicken up a bit and to allow the flavors to mingle. 

The sauce is now ready. Gently nestle the tuna steaks in the sauce, cover the pan and simmer for about 2 minutes.  You want the tuna to remain nice and pink inside so you do need to watch it. When you’re ready to serve, pull the tuna out of the sauce and toss in the fresh herbs, give it a good stir and simmer for about 1 minute. 

Spoon some of the sauce on the plate with the tuna on top or spoon over each steak.

Note - You don't usually see fresh tuna simmered in a sauce because it’s difficult to keep the tuna nice and pink.  But this recipe works and it’s just simply delicious. We served this with a side of pasta dressed with garlic, herbs and olive oil. Polenta would work very well with this too as well as arborio rice made into a risotto with fish sauce.

This sauce can be made ahead and reheated. I think it might taste even better if you made it the day before. It’s a nice option to have.

Here is the step by step - 

Servings: 4

Ingredients - 

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 to 1 1/4 pounds of tuna steaks, at least 1-inch thick (about 4 -6 small) 

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 cup sliced onions (about 1 large onion)

1/4 cup chopped dried tangerines (use golden raisins if you can’t get the dried tangerines)

Zest from 1 lemon and the juice from the lemon to squeeze over the tuna

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained

10 Castrovetrano olives, sliced

1 lb fresh tomatoes chopped or a 15-ounce can diced or crushed tomatoes

1/2 cup water, use as needed to thin sauce if necessary

1/4 cup dry white wine

3 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, chopped

2 teaspoons fresh oregano, chopped

1/3 cup pine nuts - toasted

½ lb pasta, we used linguine (alternately, you could use basmati rice or polenta)

- Heat a heavy, medium skillet (prefer cast iron) over moderately high heat. Add the canola oil and let it warm.

- Season the tuna with salt and pepper; sear for 2 minutes per side, or until both sides are golden and the center is still pink.

- Remove the tuna and set aside. Do not clean the pan.

- Using the same pan, sauté the onion with the garlic and lemon zest in the olive oil, stirring frequently until just tender, about 2-3 minutes. Deglaze with the white wine and let cook down.

- Add the capers, olives, dried tangerine slices and tomatoes. Continue cooking, for another 2 -3 minutes.

- Let simmer for a couple more minutes until the sauce thickens and has some body.

- Return the tuna to the pan, nestling the tuna down in the tomato sauce. Squeeze some lemon juice over the tuna from the lemon you zested. Cover with a tight-fitting lid. Continue to cook over low heat until the tuna reaches the desired doneness, 2 to 3 minutes for medium.

- Remove the tuna to a serving plate.

- Add the fresh herbs to the sauce and season to taste with salt and pepper; stir well.

- Set the tuna on top of the sauce on a plate or spoon it over the top of the tuna; garnish with the pine nuts.

NOTE: It’s important that the tuna steaks are at least 1 inch thick…the thicker the better, as the tuna will be less likely to overcook. The sauce can be prepared early in the day, or even the day before then the tuna can be done just before serving, simmered briefly in the sauce.