Tonno all’Olio
SERVES 4 AS AN APPETIZER
People in Italy don’t really eat canned tuna. I mean, if you need to make a quick sandwich with mayonnaise and capers because you’re headed to a soccer game in twenty minutes, sure. But otherwise tuna from the fishmonger that you poach yourself is tastier and cheaper. We had a lot of tuna at certain times because our next-door neighbor was from Sicily and once a year he would drive down there and bring back the best tuna you ever had after the mattanza, when fishermen go out in four or five boats and form a circle around huge nets that catch tons of tuna. It’s a little bit violent to see, but the result is you get fresh tuna on your table and that’s what it’s all about. Tradition sometimes is not polite, tradition sometimes is not politically correct, but it’s tradition and you can’t really argue with that. In Italy we have a lot of yellowfin and albacore tuna and those are amazing tuna to make this dish with. It’s like out-of-control canned tuna.
1 sprig rosemary
1 sprig sage
2 bay leaves
3 cloves garlic, smashed
½ lemon, sliced
4 albacore tuna fillets, 6 oz. each, cut into 2-inch cubes
2 cups olive oil
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black peppercorns
Put the rosemary, sage, bay leaves, garlic, and lemon slices in a deep saucepan. Arrange the tuna on top and pour in the oil to cover the fish. The pan should not be too wide or the fish won’t be covered.
Cook over low heat for about 10–12 minutes. When the first few bubbles appear in the oil, it’s time to turn the heat off.
Flip the fish cubes and place a lid on the pan. Let it sit for about 20 minutes, then drain the oil and season with salt and pepper.
It will keep for about 10 days stored in oil in an airtight container in the refrigerator.