OLIVE OIL-POACHED TUNA

Olive Oil-Poached Tuna image

You're perfectly happy eating regular canned tuna until the day you taste the imported, olive oil-packed tuna and realize exactly what you've been missing. You tell people that there's nothing better, but that's not entirely true. There's this. By gently poaching fresh ahi tuna in olive oil, you can create a tuna fish of exceptional quality. The taste and texture are amazing, and you can adapt this in many ways. Besides switching up herbs and seasonings, you can cook the fish to a wide range of doneness.

Provided by Chef John

Categories World Cuisine Recipes European Italian

Time P1DT1h20m

Yield 2

Number Of Ingredients 6

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Ingredients

2 (10 ounce) thick-cut ahi tuna steaks
2 cloves garlic, bruised
6 sprigs fresh thyme
1 pinch red pepper flakes, or to taste
2 cups olive oil, or as needed
sea salt to taste

Steps:

Let tuna rest at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes.
Combine garlic, thyme, and red pepper flakes in a heavy skillet. Pour olive oil into skillet to reach a depth of 1 inch. Heat oil over medium heat until garlic and thyme begin to sizzle, 5 to 10 minutes.
Place tuna gently in hot oil and reduce heat to low. Cook steaks in hot oil, spooning oil over the top of the steaks constantly, until fish is white and hot, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat, transfer steaks to a baking dish, and pour hot oil and herbs over the fish. Cool fish and oil to room temperature.
Wrap baking dish tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate steaks for 24 hours. Remove fish from oil and sprinkle sea salt over the top.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 608 calories, Carbohydrate 1.3 g, Cholesterol 108.5 mg, Fat 36 g, Fiber 0.3 g, Protein 66.5 g, SaturatedFat 6.6 g, Sodium 271.4 mg