Fresh Tuna In Five Peppers

Tuna is a hearty fish that can stand up to bold flavors. As a quick lunch today, I took some fresh ahi tuna, about four ounces, cut it into small cubes and sauteed it in a small pan with a little bit of olive oil and sliced onion.

I sprinkled it with some salt and then shook on some cayenne pepper, some chili powder, and some fresh-cracked black pepper.

I also minced some fresh chili pepper, just a touch, and let the whole concoction cook through. I though it might be too hot, so I added a small fresh tomato cut into chunks and then covered the pan. I let the tuna and pepper mix cook in the juice from the tomato for about two minutes.

With a slotted spoon, I pulled out the tuna so as not to get the juice, and divided the mixture between two red pepper tortilla wraps.

It actually didn’t have as much heat as I thought. It turned out to be an interesting little lunch.

Ingredients:

4 oz. fresh tuna, cut into small cubes
1 dash of cayenne pepper
1 hearty shake of chili powder
1 thin slice of fresh chili pepper, minced
A sprinkling of fresh-cracked black pepper
A pinch of salt
1 small tomato, cut into chunks
Two fresh red pepper tortilla wraps

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Rogue Risotto With Fresh Tuna

I love to get creative with risotto. Tonight I decided to make a risotto with fresh Albacore tuna steak and plenty of heat. Here is what I did.

Always start with arborio rice. Arborio is a short, plump, white rice perfect for absorbing liquids. It’s so lovely, like little pearls of wisdom.

Pour the amount you want into a medium saucepan. It will expand by a good deal, so don’t use too much. Pour in some olive oil and stir to coat. Heat in the saucepan to get it going. Sprinkle in some red pepper flakes.

When the pan is sufficiently hot, pour in a good amount of dry white wine. It should be hot enough to sizzle. Let this cook off. The rice will absorb the liquid and take in the flavor of the wine.

I alway have a kettle of boiling water on the side while I make risotto. You want to keep adding liquids a little at a time and stir while the rice soaks it all in. I alternate adding vegetable broth and water. I also added a vegetable bouillon cube for flavor. You can use any liquid you want: chicken broth, beef broth, depending on the flavor you are after.

I always shied away from making risotto because it sounds so tiring. But it’s a myth that you must stir risotto constantly. I walk away from it frequently. Just don’t stay away too long. You don’t want it to stick to the bottom of the pot.

While I am adding liquids in stages, I start to throw in some other flavors. I chopped up half a shallot and crushed two cloves of garlic. I also put in some dried herbs and spices from my magic cabinet: an Italian blend, some marjoram (I’m obsessed with marjoram. I’ll do a post soon just about that.), oregano, thyme, cayenne pepper and, of course, salt and black pepper. Add whatever flavors you like.

At the same time, Jim was cooking the tuna for me. He cut it into cubes and put it in a frying pan with some olive oil, shallot, a little white wine, and salt and pepper. We set this aside until the rice was almost ready.

Poking around my fridge, I found some asparagus that I never got around to using. They were almost on their way out, so I decided to chop off the tips and toss them into the pot.

I also chopped up a small amount of fresh red chile pepper and one plum tomato. Into the pot they went.

Toward the end, I wanted to add some creaminess. So I added about a tablespoon of tomato paste, a pad of butter, and about a tablespoon of shredded sharp cheese. I also put in a few drops of hot sauce.

Only one thing left to do. Fold in the tuna.

Serves four people or two De Rosas.

Music to cook by: Gladys Knight’s Before Me

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