Salt-Cured Tuna, Romano Beans, Preserved Lemon
This is a great way to enhance the flavour of tuna while also extending its shelf life. Preserved this way, the fish is similar to salmon gravlax, but tuna has a denser texture and there is also less sugar in the cure, making it more savoury. The tuna is often used in a Gozitan pie of pumpkin (winter squash), rice and green olives, but it can be used any number of ways – through pasta with fresh tomato, onion and garlic, for example. The preserved lemon added to this dish offsets the umami of the tuna and makes the beans sing.
Ingredients 9
200 g salt
40 g sugar
2 tuna steaks, total
200 ml extra-virgin olive oil, for curing tuna, approximately
2 shallots, finely diced
1 tbsp olive oil, for sautéing
500 g flat beans (romano beans), ends trimmed
1⁄4 preserved lemon, flesh discarded, thinly sliced
1 tsp chilli flakes, optional
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Method 4
Salt Cured Tuna
Make the tuna at least 3 days in advance. Put a third of the and in the base of a wide glass jar. Lay the first in the jar, and follow with another third of the salt and sugar. Repeat these layers, then press down gently on the salt-covered fish. Put a lid on the jar and refrigerate for 2 days.
Rinse the and pat it dry. Dice it into 1 cm (1⁄2 in) pieces and place in a clean jar. Cover with the for curing and refrigerate for at least 1 more day.
Remove 2 heaped tablespoons of cured from the jar and place on a chopping board (the remaining tuna can be stored in the refrigerator for another dish). Finely dice the tuna.
For The Beans
Sauté the in the in a frying pan over a medium heat until soft and translucent. Meanwhile, blanch the in salted boiling water for a few minutes until bright green. Drain and add to the frying pan. Add the , and , if using, and gently toss it all together. Taste for seasoning and serve.
Simon Bajada's tips
The remaining tuna can be stored in the refrigerator for another dish.
