Wild bluefin tuna from almadraba in Julieta sauce
Today I'm sharing this recipe for wild bluefin tuna from the almadraba (traditional tuna trap) in Julieta sauce, thanks to some friends from Cádiz who thought this family would really enjoy this product, fresh and in season.
Ingredients · Servings 4
- The central bone of a hake and if you have any monkfish bones
- 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
- 1 and 1/2 glasses of water
- ½ leek
- ½ carrot
- 800g of bluefin tuna belly from almadraba
- 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 kg of ripe tomatoes
- ½ red bell pepper
- 1 onion
- 10 roasted almonds
- 10 roasted hazelnuts
- A few peppercorns to grind
- A little salt
- 1 tablespoon of sugar
- 50 g of brandy
- A little parsley
Method · 35 min
- Put a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil in a small saucepan. When it's hot, add the fish bones, a pinch of salt, half a leek, and half a carrot. Stir and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the water and let it simmer for about 15 minutes. Strain the broth and set it aside.
- Make a cut in the bottom of the tomatoes. Put boiling water in a saucepan. Blanch them for a few seconds and transfer them to a bowl of cold water. Peel and chop them. Set aside.
- Add a pinch of salt to the tuna belly.
- Put two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a frying pan. When the oil is very hot, fry two whole garlic cloves. Remove them when they are fried and set aside.
- Fry the tuna belly in the same oil for a few seconds on each side. Remove to a plate.
- Chop the onion. Dice the pepper. Add them to the same oil and let them cook for a couple of minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the tomato and a pinch of salt. Let it cook and, while stirring, mash it a little with a wooden spoon or spatula.
- Once it's ready, you can pass it through a food mill if you want a smoother sauce, blend it, or leave it as is. I prefer the food mill: I love the texture it gives.
- Once it has reduced, add the brandy and carefully flambé it—that is, set it on fire. I use a skewer to help me do this. This step is optional, because the alcohol will evaporate anyway, but I find it especially delicious flambéed.
- In a mortar, crush the two cloves of garlic that we had fried and set aside, the peppercorns, the almonds and the hazelnuts, and a little parsley.
- Pour the stock that has been prepared into the mortar, stir, and add it to the fried tomato sauce. Let it cook for about ten minutes until you see it thickening. Taste and adjust the salt if needed.
- Add the tuna belly and cook for a couple of minutes over medium heat. Gently move the pan by the handles, without touching the pieces of fish, to allow the flavors to meld.
- Sprinkle with a little chopped parsley.
