5.16.2006

Tuna Confit and Roasted Asparagus with Aioli, Pinenuts & Preserved Meyer Lemons

tunaconfit1

I love love love my Chez Panisse Cafe Cookbook. It's a beautiful book to start off with, and filled with so many great recipes. Simple, appreciative of seasonal produce and well-produced livestock, like Sunday Suppers at Lucques, it is very inspiring to me.

tunaconfit

While flipping through its pages, I saw "Tuna Confit" and was immediately attracted to it. The tuna confit is a 2 day process but not a hard one. The first day required salting and marinating the fish in olive oil with chili, garlic, and spices. The second day the tuna was cooked gently over low heat until almost cooked through and flakeable.

I served the tuna over roasted asparagus, topped with aioli, preserved meyer lemon, and toasted pinenuts. Looking back now I think the preserved lemon minced even finer or processed and mixed in with the aioli itself would have been nice. And more of everything (thyme, chili de arbol, peppercorns, fennel seeds) in the marinade. I didn't act fast enough in the following days and the oil went to the bin the next week without ever getting a good chance to flavor any delicious dishes. I've been moving slow these days.

chocolatemousse
Marilyn's dessert: Chocolate Mousse with Orange Infused Cream

A catered menu for www.writingpad.com

3 comments:

Sam said...

I've had a couple of good brushes with tuna-confit recently (once in a restaurant and once in cooking class) and i can't wait to try it again. This recipe indeed sounds delicious.

susan said...

hi sam!

the tuna confit was yummy but i think i need to give another go just to get a softer texture. what did you have your tuna with?

Sam said...

it was used to make a tuna salad nicoise at cooking class. In the restaurant (which i am revisiting tonight, yipee) it was superb and served with grilled country bread, huge caper berries, white asparagus and olives and manchego i think. It was divine. I hope it is still on the menu - if yes I will order it and study it with making it in mind. I remember it was really succulent, the one at cooking class i felt we cooked a little too fast.