Italian
Braised Tuna Cheek
by Chef Max Mariola · 1.1M subscribers on YouTube
A slowly braised dish using the less noble cut of red tuna, made tender and flavorful with a soffritto of vegetables, sage, and chili, served on golden fried Sardinian bread with fresh wild rocket and cherry tomatoes.
- Difficulty
- medium
Ingredients
12 items- Olive OilExtra virgin olive oil
- Pane SardoSardinian flatbread (pane carasau or similar)
- 1 pcsGarlic1 clove
- 1 pcsOnion1 medium onion
- 1 pcsCarrot1 carrot, grated
- CeleryA rib of celery, sliced thinly
- Guance di Tonno2 tuna cheeks (or more depending on serving)
- SaltTo taste
- Chili PepperDried chili pepper, to taste
- SageA few fresh sage leaves
- Wild ArugulaWild rocket, a handful
- 2 pcsPomodori Sardi2 small Sardinian cherry tomatoes
Method
- Heat olive oil in a pan over high heat.
- Fry the Sardinian bread until golden on both sides; remove and set aside.
- Add a garlic clove to the oil to flavor it, then remove it after a minute.
- Add thinly sliced onion, grated carrot, and thinly sliced celery. Season with salt and let the vegetables wilt.
- Place the tuna cheeks in the pan. Season with salt and chili pepper. Add fresh sage leaves.
- Cook the cheeks, allowing them to braise gently until tender and the sauce reduces.
- Meanwhile, trim the tough stems from the wild rocket and halve the cherry tomatoes.
- Once the cheeks are fork-tender, remove them from the pan. Let the sauce thicken further if needed.
- To serve: place the fried bread on a plate, top with a braised cheek, spoon the sauce over, and garnish with wild rocket and cherry tomatoes. Drizzle with a little extra olive oil.
Chef Max Mariola
Professional chefReviewer1.1M subscribers on YouTube400.6M total channel viewsChef italiano. Ricette cucinate a casa, focus completo sulle ricette.
