Sicilian Tuna Recipes

SICILIAN-STYLE TUNA STEAKS (TONNO ALLA GHIOTTA)

Steps:

• 1. In a medium skillet over moderately high heat, warm the oil. Season the tuna with salt and pepper and sauté, turning once, until golden on both sides, 3 to 4 minutes total. Remove the tuna and set aside. Do not clean the pan.
• 2. In the same pan over low heat, sauté the onion, stirring frequently, until just tender, about 1 minute. Add the garlic, capers, olives, raisins, and tomatoes, and continue cooking, stirring, until heated through, about 2 minutes. If the tomatoes don't release much juice, add the fish stock or water to give the sauce some body.
• 3. Return the tuna to the pan and cover it with a tight-fitting lid. Cook over moderate heat until the tuna reaches the desired doneness, 2 to 3 minutes for medium.
• 4. Add the parsley and basil and stir to incorporate, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve the fish with the sauce spooned over the top; garnish with pine nuts.

SWEET AND SOUR SICILIAN TUNA

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, and continue to cook and stir until the onion is very tender and dark brown, 15 to 20 minutes more. Remove the onion from the skillet.
• Place the tuna steaks in the same skillet over medium-high heat and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Remove the tuna steaks to a serving tray; keep warm.
• Stir the vinegar and sugar together in the same skillet until sugar is dissolved. Return the onions to the pan, and simmer until the liquid reduces and is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Return the tuna to the pan and cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Place the tuna on the warm serving tray and top with the onion and sweet and sour mixture.

SICILIAN TUNA

Steps:

• Marinate tuna:
• Combine oil, lemon juice, anchovies, garlic, oregano, and tuna in a large sealable bag and seal bag, pressing out excess air. Let stand at room temperature, turning occasionally, 30 minutes.
• Grill tuna:
• Remove tuna from marinade and shake off any excess. Lightly oil grill pan and heat over medium-high heat until smoking. Grill tuna, turning once, until pale pink in center, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a platter and cover with foil to keep warm.
• Meanwhile, make sauce:
• Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add diced celery and cook, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, olives, and capers and cook until sauce is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in basil, lemon juice, and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper and remove from heat. Spoon sauce over tuna and sprinkle with celery leaves.

SICILIAN-STYLE TUNA LASAGNE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Tip the tomatoes, peppers, olives, cinnamon and herbs into a pan, cover and simmer for 10 mins until the tomatoes have broken down a little. Add the tuna and season.
• Tip the cream cheese into a bowl, season and mix to loosen a little, adding a splash of water (or milk, if you have some) to make a thick white-sauce consistency. Assemble the lasagne in a baking dish, approx 20 x 30cm. Pour roughly a third of the tuna sauce into the bottom of the dish, top with 4 lasagne sheets, a third of the cream cheese sauce, then repeat the layers twice more. Scatter over the mozzarella and bake for 35 mins until golden and bubbling.

SICILIAN TUNA STEAKS IN ONION SAUCE

Steps:

• SAUCE:.
• Saute the onions in olive oil and butter over medium heat in a large skillet.
• Add salt and cook, stirring until they are limp.
• Stir in vinegar and sugar, and cook over a slightly lower heat until the vinegar has evaporated.
• I caution you, the escaping steam will take your breath away so stay well away from the skillet when possible, but do perservere!
• When vinegar has evaporated, add cayenne or tabasco, mix well and remove from heat.
• The sauce should still retain the texture of the onions and yet retain enough moisture to be spoonable.
• Cover and keep warm.
• TUNA:.
• Over medium heat, add olive oil and bay leaves to a skillet large enough to hold tuna steaks in one layer.
• When the oil is warm, not hot, add tuna and salt and pepper to taste.
• Saute 2-3 minutes per side, but this will depend on thickness of steaks and your doneness preference-- we like ours on the rare side.
• Raise heat, add wine, and cover pan a second or two, just until the wine has stopped steaming.
• Uncover skillet, cook 30 seconds longer, then transfer tuna to plates.
• Spoon the onions and sauce over the top of each, and serve.