Tuna with Onion Confit

Posted by david on 22. January 2009 22:02

this came out surprisingly good.  I had picked up a couple of albacore steaks from Trader Joes a few days ago … cheap! & hefty.

Found this recipe in Bittman, Minimalist

3 tbs olive oil

3 large or 4-5 medium onions, thinly sliced

1 large thyme sprig

2 medium tomatoes

1 1/2 - 2 lbs tuna or swordfish

~1/2 c roughly chopped good black olives

1) OO in 10-12” skillet on medium. Add onions, healthy pinch of salt, the tyme. Cook, stirring occasionally, until begins to sizzle ~ 1-2 min.  Then adjust to low, so you only have to stir every 5 min 2 keep onions from browning. Do not allow them to brown. Cook at least 30 min.

2) Core & seed tomatoes. 1/2 in. dice.  Get yer grill going.

3) when onions are very soft, almost shapeless, season fish with s&p, grill it, turning once. for total of 6min for tuna, 8 for swordfish.

4) while fish is griling, add tomatoes & olives to onions & raise heat; cook, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes begin to liquify. season.

5) Serve fish on a bed of the onion comfit.

I used a creuset grill, well oiled & slathered my fish in mayo first. I also used 3 sprigs of thyme in the the comfit, which was nice & fragrant. 

Also drizzled melted butter on the fish after plating.

It was damn tasty for the maybe $5 for the fish & the price of the onions.  The grill marks came out real nice on the fish, too.