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Tuna
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Description
Name: Tuna (Thunnus thynnus).
Product type: Fish, typical of temperate seas.
Consumption: It can be enjoyed either fresh or canned; botargo is obtained from the dried roe and is excellent as a condiment or as an hors d'oeuvre.
Note: The heart, when dried and salted, is a delicious speciality of Sardinia cuisine, much appreciated by all seafood enthusiasts. |
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Canned tuna is undoubtedly a convenient solution to eating good fish without any fuss, but it has probably led the consumer to forget that there are other ways to enjoy this food.
A slice of fresh pan-fried tuna enhanced by a little oregano and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil is the ideal solution for a quick supper that's a little different from the usual. Cut into fine slices and left to marinate in vinegar for a couple of hours with some thyme, chives and pink pepper, before being drizzled with olive oil it's a real treat any time of year. However, this fish has other qualities that deserve a mention, beginning with bottarga - dried tuna roe. It is a product for connoisseurs which can either be cut into fine slices and dressed with a drizzle of oil and a few drops of lemon and served as an hors d'oeuvre, or crumbled over spaghetti to make a meal in minutes. While the pasta is cooking simply fry a few garlic cloves in plenty of olive oil and then add the drained spaghetti and finish cooking everything with a little oil and the bottarga before serving, perhaps with a sprinkle of pecorino cheese on top.
Dried tuna heart is also worth trying. This speciality of Sardinian tradition is finely sliced and served just like sliced bottarga. Sun-dried fillet of tuna is another product obtained by the skilful curing of the side of this fish typical of temperate climes. Let us end where we started, i.e. with the canned product, ideal for a classic tuna, onion and bean salad, but also perfect for a quick sauce made with chopped tomatoes, olives, capers and some hot chilli peppers. This is an excellent sauce for a pasta such as Fusilli, which cleverly traps the sauce between its spirals.
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