Tuna has meaty firm flesh and a rich, strong flavor due to its high oil content. Because tuna is oily, the flesh goes off more quickly than some other fish, so buy it as fresh as you can. Tuna will have already been skinned, boned, and cut into portions when you buy it, making it a very easy fish to use as there’s minimal prep to be done other than adding flavor – and it’s exceptionally fast to cook.
Buying
Tuna is mainly sold as steaks. You may also see strips of loin for making sushi and sashimi, and paler ventresca steaks (toro in Japanese) which are cut from the fatty belly. Look for firm, dense red or dark red flesh when buying tuna loin or steaks, and make sure it is from a sustainable source – check the global seafood website for the latest advice. Choose thicker steaks as these will cook far better.
How to cook tuna
Tuna dries out quite quickly and turns crumbly, so it should be cooked very briefly over a high heat in a frying pan, on a griddle or over a barbecue; or cooked under oil (confit), sous vide or simmered in a sauce. Tuna can be served cooked to rare, or cooked to a crust on the outside and raw in the centre, known as tataki in Japan. Pan-frying or griddling make this easier to control.
Because tuna has a fairly robust flavour, you can easily add herbs, spices and flavours to it without worrying about overwhelming the taste. Marinating tuna steaks will add flavour to the surface, but won’t make it any juicier – keeping a close eye on your steak while cooking is the only way to make sure it won’t dry out.
Pan-fried tuna steaks recipe
2 thick tuna steaks
olive oil for brushing
Brush the tuna steaks lightly with oil, and season.
Put the tuna steaks into a heated frying pan over high heat and allow to cool for 1-2 mins, depending on how thick the tuna steaks are.
Turn the tuna over and cook for 1-2 mins on the other side. Look at the side of the tuna to see how far through it is cooked, but remember it will keep cooking for a short while when taken off the heat. Rest for a couple of mins before serving.
Griddled tuna steaks recipe
2 thick tuna steaks
olive oil for brushing
Brush the tuna steaks lightly with oil, and season.
Put the tuna steaks into a heated griddle pan over high heat (the pan must be very hot) and allow to cook for 1-2 mins depending on how thick the tuna steaks are. If you want to make a crisscross pattern on the surface, rotate the tuna by 90 degrees halfway through.
Turn over carefully and cook in the same way for 1 min. Look at the side of the tuna to see how far through it is cooked, but remember it will keep cooking for a short while when taken off the heat. Cook for a little longer if you prefer. Rest for a couple of mins before serving.
5 recipes using tuna steaks
Moroccan-spiced tuna
Use your griddle to good effect with this spiced Moroccan-style tuna.
Tuna steaks with cucumber relish
Add a fresh hit of flavor by adding a crunchy relish to tuna.
Salad Niçoise
Posh up your salad Niçoise by using fresh tuna instead of tinned.
Fresh tuna tortillas
Tuna makes a good alternative to meat when filling tortillas.