Seasons by the Sea: Raw or Cooked, Tuna Is King

I love tuna. I love it in all of its incarnations, from the ice cream scooped blob on a deli sandwich to the fattiest slice of sashimi to seared on the grill and dabbed with a wasabi aioli. I like the cheap canned tuna at the supermarket and the fancy Italian tuna from a glass jar. I like it raw. I like it cooked.

However, it is important to point out that tuna bioaccumulates toxins, most notably methylmercury. While the Food and Drug Administration and Environmental Protection Agency insist that it is still okay for pregnant or nursing women and young children to consume one can of tuna per week, Consumer Reports disagrees. Why take chances? Instead it recommends other healthy but lower-mercury fish such as wild and Alaska salmon, shrimp, sardines, tilapia, and scallops.

Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, on to the deliciousness of tuna. There are quite a few tribes of Thunnini. Albacore is the variety most used as canned “white” tuna meat. Most are caught in the open waters of the Pacific Ocean. Skipjack is mostly sold as canned “light” tuna and comes from the Pacific Ocean around Hawaii. It is also caught in Mexico, Ecuador, and South Korea. Yellowfin is marketed as frozen or fresh loins or steaks and is often mixed with skipjack in light canned tuna. Bigeye, also known as ahi in Hawaii, is served fresh and is often used in sushi and sashimi. The Atlantic bluefin is the most prized of all, especially in Japan. Capable of swimming as fast as 43 miles per hour, this fish can grow to 14 feet in length and weigh more than a horse.

According to a March article in National Geographic, “In January 2013 a single bluefin tuna sold in Tokyo for $1.76 million.” The price, the magazine said, was “part publicity stunt, part Japanese ritual: The first tuna on the auction market each year is subject to a bidding war that’s over the top, even by Japanese standards,” but it is nevertheless an example of “how much 21st-century Japanese have come to treasure maguro, bluefin sushi.”

It is important to pay heed to warnings of overfishing and possible depletion to the point of extinction. And while tuna also contains many remarkable health benefits, it is also wise to eat it in moderation.

If you are a fan of raw tuna, either prepared as sushi, sashimi, in a tartare or ceviche, make sure that you buy it at its utmost freshest. Tell your fishmonger (or friendly fisherman buddy) that you will be serving it raw.

Tuna is also excellent when cooked like a rare steak, seared on both sides over high heat and left very rare in the middle. Grilling is also an ideal method. Probably one of the few bad ways of preparing tuna is to fry or deep fry, rendering it pale and dry. On the occasions when I have overcooked a tuna steak, I simply save it for the next day, flake it up, and turn it into a fresh tuna salad with minimal mayo, a hint of curry powder, and a bit of mango chutney.

When using canned tuna, why not try making a good old-fashioned tuna noodle casserole? Nobody makes them anymore, and they are as comforting as a bowl of mashed potatoes. Don’t use canned creamy soups as the sauce; make your own bechamel and add some sautéed onions and celery to the whole shebang. Another simple dish that requires no cooking, just the opening of two cans and a bit of chopping, is an Italian tuna and white bean salad. It is no more than a drained can of cannelini beans, flaked canned tuna, some chopped Vidalia (or other mild onion), fresh lemon juice, parsley, and olive oil.

Let us enjoy this local delicacy, on occasion, with appreciation.

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