Silky and flavorful, this Tuna Confit is so good with warm bread or tossed with pasta. I poach ahi tuna in olive oil and toss with a bright dressing of vinegar and mustard, and plenty of garlic and shallots. Really tasty ^_^
Fresh local fish is one of the great perks of living in Hawaii. My friend has another friend who is a fisherman. He gifted her a gorgeous cut of ahi which she generously shared with me.
It was about three pounds I use one pound to make ahi katsu. The second pound to make ahi tuna tataki. And the third for ahi tuna confit.
Tuna confit is slow, gentle, and luxurious. It's easy to make, but you need to plan ahead. Marinate the tuna overnight in olive oil. Then poach it. Flake it. And fold with a tangy dressing.
I usually eat it with toasted baguette (or a hearty country bread loaf) and fresh avocado slices. Sometimes I toss the confit with bucatini and a few anchovy fillets...that is also very delicious ^_^
Ingredients
Here's what you'll need to marinate and poach the tuna:
- Fresh ahi tuna
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Garlic
Here's what you'll need to make the dressing:
- Marinated and poached ahi tuna (see above)
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Garlic
- Dijon mustard
- White wine vinegar
- Chicken broth
- Shallot
- Capers
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
Let's get cooking!
Marinate the tuna overnight.
Get a small saucepan, use one that is just large enough to fit the tuna. Place the tuna inside, top with the sliced garlic, and then gently pour all the olive oil on top. Make sure there's enough olive oil to fully cover the tuna.
Note: You want the tuna fully submerged in the olive oil (try to use as small a saucepan as possible). You may also cut the tuna into smaller pieces to help it better fit int the saucepan.
Cover and let marinate in the refrigerator overnight.
Poach the tuna in olive oil.
The next day, remove the saucepan from the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes. Then turn the stove to low heat and gently poach the tuna for 5-8 minutes until the tuna is just cooked through. Turn off the heat, remove from the stove, and set aside.
Prepare the dressing.
In a small bowl, mix together two tablespoons of the olive oil (use the olive oil used to poach the ahi tuna), the dijon mustard, white wine vinegar, and the chicken broth. Scoop out the sliced garlic from the olive oil and add that to the mixture as well. Then add the sliced shallots and capers, plus a little salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Set aside.
Flake the cooked tuna.
Remove the tuna from the olive oil and flake the tuna into large pieces (use a fork to do this).
Add the dressing and mix.
Then pour all the dressing over the tuna and gently fold until the dressing is evenly distributed.
Eat and enjoy.
It is ready to eat! I love tuna confit with a side of toasted baguette and sliced avocado. That is how we usually enjoy it. The confit is also great simply tossed with pasta (use a long noodle shape). Enjoy ^_^
FAQ / Tips
You'll have a good half cup of olive oil left. You can do anything with it! I store it a small container in the refrigerator and use it over the next few days. Use it as the base for a salad dressing. Use it in your next pasta recipe. Drizzle it over sliced avocado on toast. Use it as a dip. Endless options.
Yes, this recipe is also great with salmon. Soooo buttery.
When you make dishes like ahi tuna katsu or ahi tuna tataki, you usually want the nicer shaped cuts for presentation. But since tuna confit is flaked and mixed, the specific cut of the fish is not as important. Tuna confit sounds fancy, but it is actually a very practical dish and a great use for the all the odds and ends cuts, the fish trimmings. Nothing goes to waste.
Tuna Confit Recipe
Tuna Confit
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh ahi tuna
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 8 cloves garlic thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon chicken broth
- 1 bulb shallot thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon capers
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Get a small saucepan, just large enough to fit the tuna. Place the tuna inside, top with the sliced garlic, and then gently pour all the olive oil on top. Make sure there's enough olive oil to fully cover the tuna. Note: You want the tuna fully submerged in the olive oil (try to use as small a saucepan as possible). You may also cut the tuna into smaller pieces to help it better fit int the saucepan.
- Cover and let marinate in the refrigerator overnight.
- The next day, remove the saucepan from the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes.Then turn the stove to low heat and gently poach the tuna for 5-8 minutes until the tuna is just cooked through. Turn off the heat, remove from the stove, and set aside.
- Now we prepare the dressing. In a small bowl, mix together two tablespoons of the olive oil (use the olive oil used to poach the ahi tuna), the dijon mustard, white wine vinegar, and the chicken broth. Scoop out the sliced garlic from the olive oil and add that to the mixture as well. Then add the sliced shallots and capers, plus a little salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Set aside.
- Remove the tuna from the olive oil and flake the tuna into large pieces (use a fork to do this). Then pour all the dressing over the tuna and gently fold until the dressing is evenly distributed.
- It is ready to eat! I love tuna confit with a side of toasted baguette and sliced avocado. That is how we usually enjoy it. The confit is also great simply tossed with pasta (use a long noodle shape). Enjoy ^_^
Mahalo for Reading!