Tuna – the real king of the sea!
There is so much more to tuna than using it from a tin and adding it to a salad or pasta bake!
Tuna is really the best of what the sea has to offer and is by many thought to be the real king of the ocean. It is such a versatile fish and is full of good fat and protein with a meaty bite.
Tuna is meaty and dense, with an almost creamy melt-in-your-mouth texture when raw, rare, or packed in oil. The flavour of fresh tuna tends toward sweet and saline; it displays a pronounced fishiness when preserved, but the sweetness and creaminess return when mixed with mayonnaise, cheese, or cream.
There is nothing to beat a beautiful fresh tuna steak grilled rare, with squeezed lemon and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.
The health benefits
We all know that consuming fish is healthy and provides multiple benefits, from keeping the heart healthy to improving the eyesight and hair quality. Tuna is low in fat content and rich in proteins and nutrients so is great for aiding weight loss.
Good for your heart and lowers blood pressure
Tuna comprises omega-3 fatty acids, which help in bringing balance in the blood vessels thereby reducing cholesterol in the arteries.
Tuna is also rich in potassium, which is known for lowering blood pressure. Omega-3 fatty acids in combination with potassium bring an anti-inflammatory effect to the cardiovascular system, which in turn benefits us by lowering blood pressure, risk of stroke and heart attacks.
Provides energy and improves your immune system
Tuna not only improves your metabolism rate but also increases the functionality of your organs which keeps your body energetic, active and healthy. Tuna is rich in manganese, zinc, vitamin C and selenium, which help in strengthening the immune system. These antioxidants protect us from diseases like cancer by fighting the free radicals.
Strengthens your bones and improves your skin health
Tuna contains Vitamin B which is a major component in strengthening bones. The Vitamin B complex in the fish helps in keeping our skin healthy. It contains a protein called elastin which gives a smooth tone to our skin
How to cook tuna
One of tastiest ways to prepare tuna is not cooking it at all, as in Italian carpaccio, Japanese sushi and sashimi or South American Ceviche. You can also preserve it by salt curing, smoking or canning in oil or water.
Tuna gets dry and grainy if overcooked so, if searing or grilling, it is best to use thick (approximately 1.5-inch) steaks and keep them rare in the centre.
Here are a couple of recipes to wet your appetite (and don’t forget to order some in with your next box!):
Tuna Sashimi Recipe With Mooli and Ginger
Time: 45mins
Serves 4-6
No cooking required
How to Eat!
To eat, mix a little of the grated ginger into the soy sauce, then pick up the fish with chopsticks or a fork. Drag the tuna through the dipping sauce and eat. Eat the mooli in between bites and finish it with the soy sauce.
It is traditional to drink sake with sashimi. You could also drink a beer or a crisp white.
Recipe and image source: https://www.thespruceeats.com/
Ingredients
- 450g sushi-grade tuna
- A 4-inch piece of daikon(mooli) radish
- A 2-inch piece of fresh ginger (peeled)
- 3 tsp sake wine
- 1 1/2 tbsp mirin (sweet cooking sake)
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1 1/2 tbsp tamari soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp dashi granules
Method
Add the mirin and the sake to a small pot and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and add the soy sauce, the tamari sauce and the dashi granules (these are dried bonito flakes). Mix well and let this come to room temperature.
Slice the mooli (daikon) it into very thin slices (as thin as you can slice) either with a mandoline or a knife.
Stack the slices and slice again into very thin sticks. Toss them all into a bowl of ice water and make sure they’re all separated. Gently wring out and dry the mooli, then arrange some on each plate.
Use the finest grater you have and grate the ginger, then mound it into little cones. Put a cone of ginger on each plate.
With your sharpest knife, cut the tuna into a block. You want to ultimately cut thin slices against the grain of the tuna, so look for that grain as you shape the larger block.
Slice the thin strips off the tuna block with your sharpest knife. Do this with one motion; start with the part of the knife’s edge closest to the handle and then draw it back toward you in a smooth motion.
Arrange the fish on the plate over the daikon. Garnish with something green; e.g flat-leaf parsley, very finely sliced green onion, finely sliced cucumber or similar greens.
Tuna Chemoula
Time: 20mins
Serves 6
Great steak alternative
The fresh tuna steaks are marinated in a classic Moroccan chermoula for a quick, healthy and tasty meal.
Nutritional Information
Kcals 275 | Carbs 0.6g | Protein 35.9g | Fat 14.4g | Salt 0.18g | Fibre 0.1g
Image and recipe source: www.Olivemagazine.com
Ingredients
- 6 tuna steaks
- olive oil
- 1 lemon, juiced & zested
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- small bunch of coriander
- 1 chopped red chilli
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
Method
Put all of the chermoula ingredients in a food processer and whizz, adding enough olive oil to make a marinade (about 4-6 tbsp).
Brush the tuna with half the marinade and leave for 15 mins. BBQ for 1 minute a side then rest for 3 minutes. Serve with the rest of the chermoula.
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