Those of you who read my column regularly know that my beloved sister-in-law and dear friend Esther has been killing it in the kitchen with her fish dishes. (See Jewish Exponent columns on June 24 and July 1). She sent me another corker last week, and I had to share.
She made tuna using the insulated cooking technique at a low temperature in the oven, and it was excellent. Normally, we think of tuna as something that you sear briefly on the grill and serve rare to avoid drying out, but her method brought a different texture without dryness or toughness.
Here’s what she did:
Esther’s Tuna
Serves 2
A note on coconut aminos — this ingredient mimics soy sauce — so if you don’t have easy access to this, just use regular soy.
2 tuna steaks, about 6 ounces each
1-2 teaspoons wasabi paste
Generous sprinkling of “everything but the bagel” seasoning
Half a yellow bell pepper, sliced into ribbons
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon coconut aminos (or soy sauce)
1 bag fresh spinach
Heat your oven to 275 F.
Smear the tuna with wasabi paste, and sprinkle it with seasoning; set it aside.
In a large ovenproof skillet, heat the oil, and add the garlic, ginger and peppers. Sauté until fragrant and the peppers are beginning to soften, about 5 minutes.
Add the coconut aminos or soy. Add the spinach and stir. Push the vegetable mixture to the rim of the pan, and place the prepared fish in the center.
Cover the fish with the vegetable mixture and cook it in the oven for 12-15 minutes until it reaches your desired doneness.