Sicilian Tuna Steaks in Onion Sauce

photo by Marie Nixon


- Ready In:
- 30mins
- Ingredients:
- 12
- Serves:
-
4
ingredients
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FOR THE SAUCE
- 1⁄4 lb onion, as thinly sliced as possible
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
- 1⁄4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 dash cayenne pepper or 1 dash Tabasco sauce
-
FOR THE TUNA
- 4 tuna steaks
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 bay leaves
- salt and pepper
- 1⁄4 cup dry white wine
directions
-
SAUCE:
- Saute the onions in olive oil and butter over medium heat in a large skillet.
- Add salt and cook, stirring until they are limp.
- Stir in vinegar and sugar, and cook over a slightly lower heat until the vinegar has evaporated.
- I caution you, the escaping steam will take your breath away so stay well away from the skillet when possible, but do perservere!
- When vinegar has evaporated, add cayenne or tabasco, mix well and remove from heat.
- The sauce should still retain the texture of the onions and yet retain enough moisture to be spoonable.
- Cover and keep warm.
-
TUNA:
- Over medium heat, add olive oil and bay leaves to a skillet large enough to hold tuna steaks in one layer.
- When the oil is warm, not hot, add tuna and salt and pepper to taste.
- Saute 2-3 minutes per side, but this will depend on thickness of steaks and your doneness preference-- we like ours on the rare side.
- Raise heat, add wine, and cover pan a second or two, just until the wine has stopped steaming.
- Uncover skillet, cook 30 seconds longer, then transfer tuna to plates.
- Spoon the onions and sauce over the top of each, and serve.
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Reviews
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I love tuna and am always looking for new ways to prepare this healthy fish. The sauce is what makes this dish! It's absolutely delicious! As the fish was cooking covered in the wine, I added some broccolini to steam alongside it. Served this with a side dish of White Bean Pancetta Salad Recipe #65318 UPDATE: Rather than sauteeing the steaks in olive oil then adding the wine, I poached the steaks in the wine and added a thinly sliced bulb of fennel for a side dish. This method really brought out the taste of the bay leaves and wine in the fish.
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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
FlemishMinx
Belgium
I am an American married to a Belgian, and have lived in Belgium since December 1999. Cooking is my major hobby. I'm also an avid reader, but I have difficulty finding the time. I love to travel. Since moving to Europe I've been lucky enough to have had the opportunity to go a couple of times per year to Paris, as well as having visited London, Rome, Florence, Naples, Amsterdam, and of course Brussels and Antwerp. I've seen at least parts of most regions of France, as well as parts of Germany, Austria, a great deal of Switzerland, Slovenia, Croatia, Luxembourg, and Monaco. I'm absolutely in love with the Bay of Naples and Sorrento coast areas of Italy, which my husband and I recently re-visited on a trip that included Rome, Puglia, Umbria and Marche. I'm still looking forward to Ireland, Spain, Portugal, the Czech Republic . . . the list is too long ! One of the bonuses of travel is getting to taste the local cuisine, and afterward trying to figure out how to duplicate it at home.
I think cooking is one of the nicest things a person can do for someone they love (including themself!)
I had to submit a picture with me and my cat, Sophie, as she insists on sitting in my lap when I'm sitting at the computer. If you are wondering what all that stuff hanging on the wall behind us in the photo is, it is just a small part of my husband's military medal collection. He was appalled by my posting this picture-- Our study is the messiest room in our house (thank god!)