Another Tuna Debacle

So S and I made a pepper-crusted seared tuna steak and, although it was better than my baked tuna travesty of the other night, it was still a bit of a disaster. (Jelly Bean and Calimocho, by the way, were mortified when they found out I had baked tuna the other night.) Anyways, last night we put on too much pepper. We were coughing every time we got near the kitchen, because of insane pepper vapours that penetrated our lungs without mercy. Also, I think the pan wasn't hot enough, because no crispy brown crust happened, although the tuna somehow still managed to cook for too long and wasn't pink inside. This is really tricky. Jelly Bean says that it's best to start with no frills when learning. No pepper crust, just sear bare tuna in oil. And Calimocho says to jack up the heat to max, and just sear for a few seconds each side. The recipe in my book said sear around 3 minutes per side, which is obviously a TYPO. Gahh!

Seared Tuna Steak Effort No. 1

Okay. In my "About Me," I do mention that one of the purposes of this blog is to define moments of pure befuddlement as well as moments of discovery and triumph. Well, here' s a befuddlement: On the way home today, Jelly Bean was talking about what she was going to have for dinner, and she inspired me to make a seared tuna steak. After consulting various cookbooks, I tried to make a succulent steak, one that personifies tenderness and maintains a ruby-red interior, but alas I failed. I got scared at the prospect of pan frying and decided to opt for the oven, which never lets me down when I make salmon. That turned out be a bad idea. Salmon and tuna obviously behave differently in the oven. I baked the tuna in a 400 C oven for five minutes on one side and seven on the next, and then let it rest for a bit while I puttered around. Well, when I went to eat my very expensive tuna steak it was hard and flaky, not tender and moist, nor a marbled red. In fact, it would be rather accurate to report that it was a bit grey and very cooked the whole way through. Humph. I still have a lot to learn. But I do have one more steak. Maybe I will test out another recipe later this week - perhaps on an unsuspecting S. Stay tuned for the ensuing dramatic events.