Pan Seared Tuna with Rosemary Oil
The best stories about eating while travelling are usually the ones where you just stumbled upon a humble little hidden gem after asking a local in the street. This is not one of those stories. I had planned our dinner at Da Fiore well ahead of time, making a reservation before we even left America. I loved the Da Fiore cookbook and had to go eat there in person. This actually had the potential of being quite the opposite type of story, a lot of build up and hype only to be disappointed. Thankfully, it did not turn out that way. It definitely wasnt cheap, but it was everything I expected, and one of my favorite meals not only of that Italy trip, but of all time.
In the six years since that trip we have had three children. Needless to say another trip to Italy, let alone a romantic dinner for two in Venice, is not in the cards any time soon. So we have to take advantage of the night the two oldest sleep at their grandmother’s and the 1 year old goes down early, by reliving one of the dishes from that legendary dinner, Seared Tuna with Rosemary Oil, at home.
This recipe makes a lot more rosemary oil than you need for the dish, but it keeps for a few months if sealed well and kept in a cool dark place.
Pan Seared Tuna with Rosemary Oil Recipe
Adapted from Da Fiore Cookbook by Damiano Martin
Prep time: | Cook time: | Total time:
Serves 4
1 cup extra virgin olive oil plus 1 tablespoon for cooking the tuna
1/4 cup chopped fresh rosemary plus 1 or two sprigs for garnish
2 teaspoons crushed hot red pepper
1 garlic clove
1-1/2 pounds tuna loin
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- At least one day in advance, prepare the rosemary oil by combining 1 cup olive oil, rosemary, crushed red pepper, garlic and salt to taste. Cover tightly and let stand overnight. Strain the oil through a fine mesh sieve into a clean jar, and seal until ready to use.
- Cut the tuna loin into four even pieces, and season with salt & pepper.
- Heat the tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pieces of tuna to the pan and sear on all sides, about 1 minute per side, for medium-rare.
- Using a sharp knife cut the tuna into 1/4 slices. Arrange on serving plates and drizzle with the rosemary oil. Chop up the remaining sprigs of rosemary, sprinkle on top for garnish, and serve.
Red Snapper Livornese
We spend Christmas Eve with my wife, Sandy’s family. They are Portuguese and their tradition is to have octopus, something I can’t eat due to allergies. So, my first Christmas Eve dinner at my mother in-laws, I made a platter of Snapper Livornese to serve alongside the octopus. It was a big hit, and is now expected of me and we have been enjoying this hybrid Portuguese/Italian Christmas Eve fish dinner ever since.
This dish could also be one component in a traditional Feast of The Seven Fishes blowout, if you want some more ideas to go along with it, please check out my cousin Sal’s Christmas Eve Dinner menu.
Red Snapper Livornese Recipe
Serves 4
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
12 gaetta olives, pitted and chopped
2 tablespoons capers
4 Red Snapper fillets
1 cup marinara sauce
1 cup dry white wine
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Heat the olive oil in a saute pan large enough to hold the snapper fillets, over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until it starts to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the olives and capers and continue cooking until onion is translucent 3-5 minutes.
- Lay the red snapper fillets skin side down in the pan, and add the marinara sauce and white wine. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and place the pan in the oven.
- Bake in the oven until fish is cooked through, about 15-20 minutes. Using a spatula, carefully transfer fish to serving plates, spoon sauce over fish and serve.
