Tuna Confit

A delicious appetizer and a great change from the tuna tartare/tuna tataki that is on everyone's menu these days. From Chef Daniel Humm of Eleven Madison Park. The long prep time includes six hours marinating time. Pair with a chenin blanc

• Ready In: 7 hrs
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 1  lb fresh tuna
• 1  cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2  garlic cloves, smashed
• 3  sprigs fresh thyme
• 4  pieces lemon peel (4 2-inch strips)
• 4  teaspoons capers, drained, more for garnish
• 1⁄2 tablespoon shallot, minced
• 2  tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1  tablespoon sherry wine vinegar
• 1⁄2 tablespoon  chicken stock
• 3 1⁄2 tablespoons  grapeseed oil
•  salt & fresh ground pepper

Directions

1. Place tuna in a bowl, cutting it into several pieces if necessary.
2. Add olive oil, the garlic, thyme and lemon peel.
3. Cover, and marinate 6 hours, refrigerated or at room temperature, or overnight in the refrigerator.
4. Transfer contents of bowl to a saucepan, bring to a simmer, lower heat and cook 5 minutes.
5. Shut off heat(tuna will still be pink in middle); let cool 30 minutes.
6. Remove tuna (reserving two tablespoons of the olive oil mixture), drain well, transfer to a bowl and mash coarsely with a fork.
7. Fold capers, shallots, mustard and sherry vinegar into tuna.
8. Whisk the 2 tablespoons of the olive oil with chicken stock and grape seed oil.
9. Fold into tuna.
10. Season with salt and pepper (mixture should be fairly loose).
11. To serve at once, place mounds of tuna on each of 6 salad plates, scatter with more capers and serve with toast/crostini, as a first course.
12. Otherwise, refrigerate tuna until 30 minutes before serving; then divide onto plates and serve.