Chef Michael Symon’s Cured Tuna
We know the man has a way with pig.
After all, whenever you see Chef Michael Symon on TV, he’s usually talking or cooking pork. Who can blame this Midwestern chef with his acclaimed Cleveland restaurants, Lola and Lolita, for having such a porcine love affair?
There’s a whole lot more than pig in his new cookbook, “Michael Symon’s Live to Cook” (Clarkson Potter). Sure, you’ll find the likes of roasted rack of pork with grilled peaches and chestnut honey vinaigrette, not to mention pappardelle with pig’s head ragu.
But you’ll also find everything from sheep’s milk ravioli with brown butter and almonds, and veal chop Milanese with arugula salad to the colorful “Lightly Cured Tuna with Olives, Orange, and Shaved Fennel” (photo above).
Sushi-grade tuna is cured in olive brine, of all things, for spectacular results in this Japanese-meets-Mediterranean dish. This first course is light, bright and so very vibrant.
Michael Symon’s Lightly Cured Tuna with Olives, Oranges and Fennel
(Serves 4 to 6)
1/3 cup freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice
1 pound sushi-quality yellow fin tuna, thinly sliced across the grain
3 ounces (about 18) picholine olives, pitted and slivered
Freshly ground black pepper
1 bulb fennel, thinly sliced
2 Meyer lemons, zested
Another Great Fish Dish: Fish Cakes with Caper-Parsley Sauce
An Asian Dish Using Dried Fish: Steamed Pork Cake (hom yu jing jiu yok bang)
Another Can’t-Be-Beat Citrusy Main Course: Fennnel: Braised Pork with Orange and Fennel
Lovely post Carolyn. I enjoy Michael Symon’s way with food.
Great article! Would olive brine from a jar also work? I have a jar of olives at home and also fennel! I would just need to pick up an orange and tuna, if the jar thing works OK. btw, that picture is so beautiful! The colors are so stunning – I thought it was grapefruit at first.
Jen: I think brine in the jar would be just fine, as it’s probably the same type of brine at the help-yourself olive bars in supermarkets. Let me know what you think of the dish when you try it.
Great post…nice picture!
This dish sounds fantastic, and the colors are gorgeous. Interesting use of olive brine.
Beautiful rendition of Symon’s cured tuna recipe. Reminds me I need to start cooking from that book pronto!
This is definitely one we’ll try. We get great, fresh albacore regularly from our fisherman. This will do it justice!
Sounds delicious! And amazing photo as always! 🙂
We are brining fools and will be trying that tuna in olive brine.
That looks divine and an interesting way of curing the tuna too! Thank you so much for sharing it (and GORGEOUS pic!). Is it ok to eat my computer screen now? 😛
The tuna sounds fantastic, really a gorgeous dish! Loved reading the article!
This sounds fabulous–healthy and refreshing too. Yum.
Oh yum, this all sounds amazing. Can’t wait to try it!
Oh that looks wonderful!
although as a rule i prefer mr symon’s piggy dishes, this is a refreshing alternative. don’t tell anyone, but i think i have a crush on that quirky bald man. 🙂