Mi-Cuit Sous Vide Tuna with Olive Tapenade

This recipe serves two as a starter prior to another delicious Sous Vide meal. For additional guests, you'll want to increase the amount of tuna used. This firm, but very tender, texture can be gained from brining tuna and then cooking it sous vide is inimitable. The two-step process ensures you get wonderful little bites of tuna, which are complemented by the fresh olive and basil tapenade.

Author

Christina Wylie

Christina Wylie is an award-winning writer, author, editor, food stylist, recipe creator, entrepreneur and radio host whose work has been featured in The Times & The Sunday Times, Time Out (Melbourne, Sydney, Hong Kong and Dubai), Traveler’s Digest, Fah Thai Magazine, Broadsheet, Wining & Dining and many other internationally renowned publications. In 2013, after almost a decade of working as an international journalist, Christina founded the online lifestyle magazine The GAB Magazine, for which she now leads a team of 60 writers based all across Australia. She then founded Samui Life Magazine in 2016. After working as a recipe creator for Anova Culinary for over a year, she signed a cookbook contract with the American-based, international publishing company Quarto. Her cookbook, titled The Sous Vide Kitchen: Techniques, Ideas, and More Than 100 Recipes to Cook at Home, was published worldwide in 2017. She wrote, styled, and photographed everything that you see within that book. In 2017 she opened her first restaurant, Bootlegger, in Koh Samui, Thailand. She is currently in the initial stages of launching Bootlegger 2 in Phuket in 2018, and is looking to open Bootlegger 3 in Bangkok in 2019. She is currently working towards stepping into the world of food and travel presenting. As an entrepreneur herself, Christina co-founded the charity initiative Project Gen Z in 2015 to teach orphaned Cambodian children entrepreneurial skills. A British expat born and raised in Hong Kong, Christina has worked across the globe, and has lived in Thailand, London, Hong Kong, Australia and South Africa over the years.

Prep Time: 00:40

Recipe Time: 00:30

Temperature : 113F / 45C

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups water
• 1/4 cup salt
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 (8-ounce) tuna steak, sliced into 1-inch strips
• 2 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 (1/4-inch thick) slices lemon, halved
• 1 cup pitted black olives
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves, plus more small whole leaves, for serving
• 1 tablespoon drained capers
• 2 teaspoons fish sauce
• 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic, minced

Directions

1. Set the Anova Sous Vide Precision Cooker to 113ºF (45ºC).
2. Whisk together water, salt, and sugar in a large bowl until salt and sugar are dissolved. Add the tuna and transfer to the refrigerator. Let brine for 30 minutes, stirring gently every 10 minutes.
3. Drain the tuna and pat dry. Transfer to a large zipper lock bag with 2 tablespoons olive oil and the lemon slices. Seal the bag using the water immersion technique and place in the water bath. Set the timer for 30 minutes.
4. While the tuna is cooking, make the tapenade: Combine olives, remaining 1/4 cup olive oil, chopped basil, capers, fish sauce, lemon juice, and garlic in a food processor. Pulse until mixture forms a chunky paste. Set aside.

Finishing Steps

1. When the timer goes off, remove the bag from the water bath. Transfer to an ice bath and chill until tuna reaches room temperature.
2. Slice the cooled tuna into 1-inch pieces. Arrange on a serving plate and drizzle with the tapenade. Garnish with the small basil leaves. Serve.