Atun de Escabeche

3 pounds fresh tuna (cut into large chunks)
2 small onions (cut into chunks)
1 cup salt
1/2 cup olive oil
6 garlic cloves, crushed

Dissolve salt into 2 quarts of water.  Chill this brine, and soak tuna in it for one hour.  The meat will whiten as the blood is leached out.  Remove fish and quickly wash.  Place tuna, garlic, onions and olive oil in a kettle with enough water to cover.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and poach with the lid on for about 45 minutes, or until the fish flakes with a fork.  Arrange chunks of tuna on a serving platter and refrigerate for 24 hours.  When ready to serve pour on the dressing.  Serves 6 to 8.

Barbecued Tuna Steaks

2 pounds tuna steak
1/4 cup brandy or dry vermouth
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 tbsp chopped chives
1 tsp soy sauce
1/8 tsp garlic salt
pepper to taste
1/2 tsp marjoram

Mix together all ingredients except tuna steak and marinate the fish in the mixture for at least 1 hour before cooking.  Turn the fish occasionally and be sure all surfaces are covered by the sauce.  Place fish in well-greased grill and barbecue 4 to 6 inches above cooking coals until both sides are nicely browned (3 to 6 minutes to a side) and fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.  While cooking, baste with any sauce left in the marinating dish. Serves 4.

Braised Fresh Tuna with Red Wine

2 pounds fresh tuna (small steaks)
2 tbsp plus 1 salt
4 large scallions
2 green Italian peppers (about 1/2 pound)
1/4 cup chopped flat Italian parsley
freshly ground pepper
4 tsp fine herbs
1 cup dry red wine
3 tbsp tomato purée
beurre manie
2 tsps capers

If tuna steaks are large, cut them in half.  Dissolve 2 tbs salt  in pan with water and soak the tuna steaks in this brine for approximately 1 hour.  Rinse tuna and pat dry.  Pour the olive oil into a flat baking dish large enough to hold the steak in a single layer.  Chop the scallions and peppers.  Mix with the Italian parsley and arrange this mirepoix in the baking dish.  Sprinkle with 1 tsp salt and a little pepper.  Place tuna steaks on the vegetable bed and sprinkle them with a little pepper and cover the dish, placing the oiled side down; make a few holes in the steaks for steam to escape.  Braise in a preheated 375 F. oven for about 40 minutes.  Remove from oven and transfer the tuna steaks to a serving platter; keep warm.  Pour the remaining liquid and vegetables into a blender and reduce to a purée that is still a little lumpy.  Return the purée to a saucepan and add the tomato puree.  When the sauce is hot, add as much beurre manie as needed, tsp at a time, to thicken it; or use the purée without thickening further.  Spoon over tuna and sprinkle with capers.  Makes 6 servings.  Hot or cold.

Broiled Fresh Tuna  

1 pound tuna steaks or filets (3/4" to 1 1/2" thick)
salt and pepper
chopped parsley
dried thyme
marjoram
basil
tarragon
1 tbsp melted margarine or butter
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
lemon wedges

Lightly grease broiler pan.  Pat fish dry with paper towels, season with salt, pepper and herbs.  Arrange on broiler pan without crowding.  Combine margarine and lemon juice to make basting sauce; brush on fish.  Broil 4" to 5" from source of heat, turning and basting once, until fish is golden brown and begins to flake when tested with fork but is still moist; allow 10 minutes per inch of thickness.  Transfer fish to warm serving platter.  Serve with lemon wedges and your choice of sauce.  Makes 4 servings.

Cajun Style Tuna

4 pounds fresh tuna
1/4 cup butter
1/3 cup lemon juice
4 garlic cloves (fresh squeezed)

Mix ingredients together and marinate the fish for at least one hour, turning occasionally.

Meanwhile, combine the following seasonings:

salt and black pepper to taste
1 tsp red pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tbsp sweet paprika
1/2 tsp ground thyme
1/2 tsp oregano

After fish has been marinated take each steak out of dish and sprinkle seasonings on both side of steak.  Heat a large cast-iron skillet over very high heat.  Add 2 tbs melted butter to the remaining marinated sauce and pour in skillet.  Place each fish in uncovered skillet until charred on both sides.  Serves 4 to 6.

Ceviche

1 pound fresh tuna 
8 - 10 lemons or 1/2 cup lemon juice.
1 medium onion
2 cloves garlic
salt
tomatoes

Cut fresh raw tuna or quick boiled (1 minute) into 1/4" to 1/2" cubes.  Place in bowl or dish.  Mix cup lemon juice (fresh squeezed or bottled), 1/4 cup water, diced onion, squeezed garlic and salt (to taste) together.  Pour over fish, just covering the fish with juice.  Marinate 3 - 5 hours in refrigerator.  Add diced tomatoes to mixture 10 minutes before serving.  Serve on a bed of green lettuce.  Entree is complemented by potatoes, corn on the cob or sweet potatoes.

Marmitako (Tuna Stew)

8 pounds fresh tuna
11 pounds potatoes
2 large onions
6 or 7 green peppers
12 garlic cloves
1 cup olive oil
1 pound whole tomatoes, peeled

Peel the potatoes and cut into large square chunks.  Drop chunks into a large pot of cold water.  Mince onions, chop peppers, and sliver garlic.  Pour the oil into a huge pot (about 12 quart size), and add onions, pepper and garlic.  Sauté until onions are golden brown.  Add whole tomatoes and continue to cook, mashing the tomatoes with a wooden spoon to reduce the whole mixture to a purée.  When the tomatoes are partly reduced, add the potato chunks and mix well so the sauce gets into the potatoes.  Add enough water to reach two fingers above the level of sauce and potatoes.  Bring to a boil, then let the stew simmer gently.  Cut meat into large chunks.  When the potatoes are tender and sauce reduced to a purée, but not to a thick paste, add the tuna chunks.  Cook over high heat for 5 minutes.  Remove pot from stove, cover it, and let stand for 30 minutes.  Makes 12 servings.

Sashimi 

There are two rules to abide by in the preparation of sashimi.  First, you must begin with very fresh fish.  Second, the fish must be cut with a very sharp knife to obtain the desired glaze in each slice.  After you buy the fillet, remove and discard the skin and very dark parts of the meat.  Cut the fillet in 2" lengths, then cut across the grain in slices 1/4 inch thick, and 1" wide.  Slice what you think will be eaten at one time.  Cover the remainder with plastic film and refrigerate.  Serve with wasabi mixed with a little water until it is the consistency of sour cream, soy sauce, and shredded daikon (Japanese white radish).

Sushi

Rice for Sushi:
   3 cups Japanese-style short grain rice
   3 1/4 cups water
   1/4 cup white vinegar
   1/3 cup plus 2 tbsp sugar
   2 tbsp salt
   
Cook rice with 3 1/4 cups water.  In a saucepan cook vinegar, sugar, and salt until sugar dissolves.  Cool.  Using a rice paddle, scoop cooked rice into a large, shallow baking pan.  Pour half the vinegar mixture evenly over the surface; fold liquid in carefully, without mashing kernels.  At the same time, fan the rice.  This "fanning" brings out the luster in the grain.  Continue fanning and folding until little liquid is left.  The rice absorbs the excess liquid as it cools.  Makes 6 cups.  Use the remaining vinegar mixture as you assemble the sushi.  Dip your fingertips into it to keep the rice from sticking to your fingertips.

Tuna Curry

1 pound tuna, cut into bite size pieces 
1 small onion sliced
1/3 tsp ground red pepper
1 small pinch tumeric
1 slice fresh green ginger
1 inch piece of cinnamon
salt to taste
3/8 cup coconut milk or water
1/2 tbsp cooking oil
juice of 1/4 lime

Combine tuna in sauce pan with 1/2 of onion slices, garlic, red pepper, tumeric, ginger, cinnamon and salt.  Mix well, add coconut milk and simmer for about 3 minutes or until tuna is almost cooked through.  Set aside.  Heat oil in skillet, add remaining 1/2 of onion slices and lightly sauté.  Add tuna to mixture, stir in lime juice and heat on slow fire for 5 minutes.  Serve with rice.  Serves 4 to 6.