I never tasted fresh, line-caught albacore until I arrived in Oregon 20 years ago. I didn’t know what the all the fuss was about until I tasted it myself.
Call it skepticism. Call it one of Oregon’s lores. Seafood lovers I met after I moved here sang the same chorus: Once you taste freshly caught albacore, you’ll never go back to Charlie or the “Chicken of the Sea.”
Fresh line-caught albacore has a mild flavor, a flaky consistency, and the tenderloins are perfect for pan-searing and smoking.
When smoking tuna, I simply brush on a little olive oil, lightly season, and then place it in the Traeger wood pellet smoker grill on the smoke setting and leave it alone for 40 minutes to an hour. Smoked albacore tenderloins are great on top of salads, or a bed of fresh pasta tossed in olive oil, sautéed garlic, and fresh parsley.
When pan-searing, I use a cast-iron skillet and sear the 1½-inch thick slices of tenderloin a few minutes in some bacon fat. There’s nothing like the combination of bacon fat and tuna. It’s simply sublime. Just a note of caution: Don’t overcook or the fish will be dry. Two or three minutes on each side should be sufficient. It’s fine to eat the fish with the center a little pink.
Here are two simple and delicious recipes. Try fresh albacore and you’ll be hooked.
Pan-seared albacore with golden heirloom tomato on a bed of deconstructed succotash
(Serves four)
Ingredients
4 strips of smoked bacon, sliced into small pieces
¾ to 1 pound fresh albacore tenderloin, sliced into 4 pieces 1–1½ inches thick
1 red bell pepper, cubed
4 ears of fresh corn, with kernels removed from cob by slicing down the cob with sharp knife
Salt and pepper to taste
1 large golden heirloom tomato, sliced into 4 discs
Directions
Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add bacon, stirring occasionally, until bacon is cooked but not crispy. Using a slotted spoon, remove bacon and set aside.
Turn the heat to high and sear albacore tenderloins in the bacon fat, letting it cook no more than 2 or 3 minutes on each side. Remove albacore to plate and drain oil from cast-iron skillet into a sauté pan. Over medium heat, add cubed bell pepper and cook a few minutes until it begins to turn limp. Add corn and stir to incorporate. Season with salt and pepper to taste and cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Divide the corn and bell pepper into 4 servings and mound onto each plate. Place a disc of tomato on top of the corn and bell pepper and season with a little salt and then place an albacore tenderloin on top of the tomato disc.
Sprinkle the cooked bacon over the dish, placing a few pieces on top of the albacore and serve.
Soy-mirin-ginger marinated grilled albacore with grilled zucchini, pineapple and mango
(Serves four)
Ingredients
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1 tablespoon mirin (Japanese rice wine vinegar)
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
¾ to 1 pound fresh albacore tenderloin, sliced into 4 pieces 1–1½ inches thick
1 large zucchini sliced into diagonal discs
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon garlic seasoning
¼ of a pineapple, peeled core removed and sliced into long pieces
1 mango peeled and sliced into long pieces
Directions
For the marinade, mix together sesame oil, soy sauce, grated ginger, mirin, and orange juice. Place albacore in a sealable plastic bag and pour the marinade over the tuna. Seal bag and gently turn over until tuna is coated with the marinade. Marinate for 2–3 hours in the refrigerator.
When ready to cook, toss zucchini in olive oil and garlic seasoning and place on a grill pan, charcoal or gas grill along with albacore, and pineapple and mango slices. Cook zucchini, pineapple and mango slices a couple of minutes on each side and remove to serving platter. Cook albacore 2–3 minutes on each side and serve with mango and zucchini slices.