Tuna

Tuna Surprise
by Michael Janiszewski

Anyone who remembers the ubiquitous nature of the old Star-Kist – “Sorry Charlie” – and Chicken of the Sea commercials shouldn’t be surprised by the fact that canned tuna has been big business in supermarkets for decades. While they often started with top quality fish in this country they usually packed it in cheap vegetable oil of questionable culinary and nutritional value, that is, until a few years ago when we were told that this was bad for us. Then, the cutting edge companies did us the big favor of packing the tuna in water – some did us an even bigger flavor by using “spring” water – so that we could lead healthier lives as we enjoyed the flavor of watered (down) tuna. Throughout all of these phases our European friends have been having the biggest laugh about us. While they never have shared our enthusiasm for canned food, they have always understood that fish actually will improve in flavor in cans, if it is canned properly, and that means packed in olive oil.

Believe it or not, the Spanish, French, and Italians are very fond of canned tuna. But it's solid chunks of tuna packed in olive oil. I know that everyone seems to be watching their fat intake, but I've always found water packed tuna disintegrates into mushy little shards in the can – an opinion that I recently discovered was vociferously seconded by the late Julia Child and Jacques Pepin on their last PBS cooking series. Olive oil preserves and even adds greater nuance to the flavor as it ages. Then there is the velvety texture of the oil itself. Hey, and the whole package is GOOD for you too! Good Omega-3, lean protein, and anti-oxidants in the oil. The top producers in Spain, Portugal, Italy and France all use line-caught fish of first rate quality for the canned tunas enjoyed throughout the Mediterranean and the rest of Europe. The tuna is caught, quickly killed, gutted, and either processed, or flash frozen for later processing. At the packing plant it is then butchered, cooked in either water, olive oil, or both, and then packed with olive oil in cans or jars. A number of small fisherman/packers in California and the Pacific Northwest have recently begun to follow this Mediterranean practice with great success.

There are four tuna species that make up the bulk of canned tuna offerings. The most prevalent and least costly are the yellow fin and the big eye, two species that resemble one another in the water, in the can, and on the plate. The yellow fin is the more plentiful of the two, and it is mainly taken off the coast of Spain, The Azores, and in the Western Mediterranean. The big eye sometimes swims along with its look-alike cousin the yellow fin. However, it tends to dive deeper, and so it has a higher fat content resulting in a slightly richer tasting fish. When cooked yellow fin meat tends to have a very light yellow to light brown color. The meat is quite firm, and while rich in flavor it is not overpoweringly "fishy." The big eye has similar characteristics in the can, but usually leans to light brown in color. Because it is often difficult to tell them apart, they are both processed together, and sold simply as "Tuna," "Atun" in Spain and "Tonno" in Italy.

The prized catch for Atlantic fishing boats is the albacore tuna, or "Bonito del Norte" as they call it in Spain. The prime ground for this delicious fish with the pale white meat is off Spain's north coast. Its firm white meat is cooked in water and packed in oil. While much of it is put in cans, larger fillets are often packed in clear glass jars that have a greater eye appeal than the most colorful labels. Albacore has the most delicate flavor of all the canned tunas. Another of the world’s prime Albacore fishing grounds is off our northwest Pacific Coast – indeed it has come to our attention that a number of Spanish tuna packing companies have been buying tons of Albacore from the Pacific Northwest for several years now just to satisfy the European demand.

A number of Pacific Northwest fishermen have recently begun packing some of their catch in olive oil with a twist on the European procedures. The Europeans cook the tuna first and then pack it in olive oil, usually second press oil. Here in the Pacific Northwest they pack the raw tuna with extra virgin olive oil and then cook it in the can. Cooking it in the can locks in all the natural liquids present in the tuna and this means more tuna flavor. Starting out with extra virgin olive oil also means more flavor in the can - the oil/liquid in the can is so unbelievably flavorful that you won’t want to pour it off into the sink. It makes the perfect base for a salad dressing. The result is an Albacore tuna that tastes “meatier” than the European counterparts.

Finally, the prized catch in the Western Mediterranean, especially off the coast of Sicily, is the blue fin tuna. This is the largest of the tuna species, and centuries of increasingly heavy fishing have made it a rare catch indeed, fetching the highest price of all at the home port. This is by far the densest and meatiest tasting of all the tuna family; it also has the richest flavor – however, it is a species that is currently at risk of being fished out of existence.

Tuna is tuna; you might say, and so what's all the fuss about the different species? Well, we’re all so hooked on tuna packed in olive oil that we can’t stop preaching about it and I’ve put together a couple of tuna samplers at really great prices to help you decide for yourselves – I also suggest that you go out and buy a can of solid white tuna packed in water just to compare.

What is my favorite tuna? Like most high quality ingredients that have a range of flavor and texture, it depends on what I’m going to do with the tuna. If I just have time to pop open a can and eat it all by its lonesome, I'd go for a smallish can of Bonito del Norte or Papa George’s Albacore in California Olive Oil so that I could savor the lighter flavors. A small can would also work as a part of a salad for one. If I was entertaining and wanted a spectacular presentation, larger Bonito del Norte loin pieces would create a memorable Salad Niçoise. The flavor of this fish also goes very well with salad greens and light vinaigrettes. For dishes like Pasta with Tuna and Braised Greens and Pasta with Tuna, Capers and Tapenade, or salads with stronger flavors and heartier ingredients like White Beans with Tuna and Sage, I would use the Atun from As do Mar. The darker meat and more robust flavor of this fish is also perfect for a Mediterranean style tuna sandwich: a half a can of Atun thoroughly flaked in a bowl with its oil and maybe a light squeeze of lemon, two slices of rustic bread, generously doused with some extra virgin olive oil, and some fresh arugula leaves – the richness of the belly cut of Albacore, known as Ventresca, is also perfect for this simple dish. Another simple but delicious recipe is Tuna Tossed with Arugula, Baby Artichokes, Parmigiano, Lemon and Olive Oil.

And my own end-of-a-long-day favorite? My secret recipe is just tuna, lots of diced celery and carrots, freshly ground black pepper, and a little fresh mayo to bind. I sometimes add a little diced sweet onion, or even chopped cornichon, but the crunch of the veggies is enough of an enhancement for me. Sometimes I'll plop the whole bowlful on top of nice little salad greens dressed with a little vinaigrette – if I’m using Papa George it’s just the liquid from the can with a little lemon juice. I will often pile it in the middle of a plate ringed with sliced, really ripe tomatoes and half moons of buttery avocado. But, some days I'll just recline on the couch and eat it with nice sesame whole-wheat crackers - the sensualist's version of eating a can over the kitchen sink.