Sometimes a can can't do the job. For example, it can't preserve freshness (a canned peach is no more like a fresh peach than chipped beef is like
steak). And it can't compete with homemade (most canned soups don't even resemble their namesakes).
But sometimes a can can. It can provide us with food so convenient that it wipes out all cultural memory of the food as it existed before it came in the can, making the canned product seem more natural to us than the food itself.
Such is the case with tuna.
Until the culinary revolution of the 1970s, most of us had never eaten tuna that didn't come in a can. We ordered our tuna as "chunk white" instead of in steaks and probably thought the fish swam packed in oil.
We'll never say goodbye to canned tuna, nor should we. But we are changing our attitude. Now, tuna is bonito and albacore. It's grilled in the back yard, sushied with ginger and broiled with mustard. We slap it with pesto, cloak it with marinara and crown it with chutney.
It seems time to introduce tuna to itself. And to you, if you've never had the fresh version. We have a selection of recipes that are adaptations of some of your favorite canned-tuna meals. How about a tuna-noodle casserole with fresh tuna, or a tuna sandwich made with a fresh tuna steak? Try a tuna croquette that really tastes like tuna, or a platter of vegetables surrounding a beautifully grilled filet instead of steamed fish pressed in the shape of a can.
Fresh tuna is readily available and easy to prepare. Buy it in steaks of no more than an inch thick. The color of the meat will vary from light pink to beef red. The darker meat tastes slightly stronger, but both are equally good.
Before cooking the tuna, wash it well and press it lightly to make sure that the thickness is uniform throughout the steak. If need be, trim the thicker portions to ensure even thickness. Cut away the dark brown section located to one side or in the center of the steak. This section will have a grainier texture than the rest of the flesh and will have an unpleasant liverlike flavor after cooking.
Tuna can be grilled, sauteed, baked, braised or poached. The recipes that follow call for either poached or grilled tuna. Both are quick and easy methods. The method for grilling is included in the appropriate recipes. A separate recipe is provided for poached tuna. All the recipes call for fresh tuna, but any of them can be made with leftover tuna as well.
TUNA-NOODLE CASSEROLE
3 cups milk
1/4 cup chopped carrot
