Tuna: Bin the can and get fresh - The Best from Greece

Posted on: 05/Jan/2012 In Greece, tuna is not usually fished systematically, though it is often caught accidentally on a swordfish line or in a dragnet.

Like salmon, tuna has only become available fresh in Greece in recent years, with a few exceptions on the islands, as it is not part of the traditional local cuisine. That is mainly due to the fact that these large fish travel in schools at speeds of up to 80 kilometers per hour, making them hard to catch.

There are seven types of tuna, only two of which can be found in local waters – the white albacore (Thunnus alalunga), the variety best known to Greek fishermen, and the red variety (Thunnus thynnus), in English commonly known as the northern bluefin.

The former can grow up to 140 centimeters long and weigh up to 42 kilos. Easily recognizable by its long side fin and white flesh, it is mostly used for canning.

The northern bluefin is considered a delicacy by the Japanese. Unfortunately, for that very reason, it is now at risk of extinction as a result of commercial overfishing. It can grow up to 4.5 meters long and weigh up to 700 kilos. Prices in Japan are said to reach as much as $50,000 for a single large fish. The Japanese do not discard the head or entrails, and believe the eyes, brain, cheeks, roe and belly meat have therapeutic properties for the brain and sexual prowess.

In Greece, tuna is not usually fished systematically, though it is often caught accidentally on a swordfish line or in a dragnet. A few fishermen use tuna nets, placed near the coast, to catch them for canning, so until about 20 years ago, when the Japanese discovered the northern bluefin, the eastern Mediterranean and northern Aegean had large populations of both red and white tuna. Now even these waters have been commercially overfished and populations of tuna, along with cod, swordfish and red mullet, are disappearing.

The best time to fish for both red and white tuna is between July and October, but the latter is easier to find at fish markets, at 3 to 8 euros a kilo, for either an entire fish or fillets. Usually these are from Greek waters or other parts of the Mediterranean. Due to lack of demand in Greece, however, you won’t often find it in local fish shops.

Helpful Tips

* Its strong flavor comes from the high proportion of blood, so cooking it is more like cooking red meat than fish.

* If you are going to keep tuna in the refrigerator for more than a day, put it in a colander over a large bowl to catch the blood and other liquids, which should not be kept in contact with the flesh.

* Try the fillet medium-rare and seasoned with salt and pepper. Although it’s a fatty fish, be careful it doesn’t dry out when cooking or the flavor will be lost. It goes well with a wide variety of herbs and spices.

* Generally a 2.5 cm thick tuna fillet takes 10 minutes to cook in the oven at 220C. It can also be grilled in a non-stick pan, although many consider it sacrilege to fry this fish.

Tuna steak with lemon & mustard sauce

Ingredients (for 6 people)
6 tuna steaks
For the sauce:
6 tbsp Dijon mustard
Juice of 2 lemons and zest of one lemon
1 bunch of fresh dill, finely chopped
6 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp sugar
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Place all the ingredients for the sauce into a bowl and stir well with a fork.
Add the steaks and turn until well covered. Cover tightly and leave in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 200C. Place the fillets with the marinade in a baking tray, cover with baking paper or aluminium foil and bake for 15 minutes. Serve with fried potatoes. Dina Nikolaou

Poached tuna with mussels, wine & herbs

Ingredients (for 4 people)
4 fresh tuna fillets (250g each)
4 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup dry white wine
16-20 fresh mussels
2 tbsp chopped dill
2 tbsp chopped parsley
2 tbsp chopped mint
2 tbsp chopped basil
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Wash the mussels well and brush the shells with a wire brush to remove the hairs.
Season the tuna fillets on both sides.
Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and brown the tuna steaks for two minutes on each side.
Add the wine and then the mussels and herbs. Cover and let simmer for a few minutes until the mussel shells open.
Serve with rice. Arygro Barbarigou

 

 

 

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