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SAUTÉED TAUTOG

Clean and split the fish and sauté according to the directions on page 10.

BROILED TAUTOG

Broil according to the directions on pages 9–10.

BAKED TAUTOG

Bake tautog as you would striped bass (see page 269).

Tuna and Related Fish

This is a fish that I think is better canned than fresh. There are many varieties of tuna on both coasts, and all are robust game fish. The albacore, which has the true white meat, is the one used for the finest pack tunafish and for the most delicate dishes. The others are not so white, varying in color from a sort of amber to a purply red. Bonito is an important Pacific member of the family, all members of which are related to the mackerel.

Small tuna weigh 10 to 15 pounds, large ones up to 600 pounds. The fish is sold whole, in steaks, and in fillets.

Some smoked tuna is found here and there on the market, but other varieties of smoked fish are more popular.

Fresh Tuna

GRILLED TUNA WITH VARIOUS SAUCES

Marinate 1-inch-thick tuna steaks in olive oil flavored with garlic and lemon juice. Soak the fish for 1 hour before cooking. Grill the steaks over charcoal or in the broiler, basting well with additional oil. Cook according to the Canadian cooking theory (page 9), turning once. Season the steaks with salt and freshly ground black pepper, remove them to a hot platter, and serve with any of the following sauces; Hollandaise (pages 25–26), Béarnaise (page 26), lobster (page 21), shrimp (page 21), lemon butter (page 31), or parsley butter (page 33).

VARIATION

Marinate the fish in your favorite barbecue sauce and brush it with the sauce while it is grilling. Serve with sautéed potatoes and plenty of garlic bread to dunk into the sauce.

TUNA SAUTÉ AMANDINE

4 pounds tuna steaks

1/2 pound almonds

6 tablespoons butter

Flour

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Lemon wedges

Use 1-inch-thick tuna steaks. Blanch and sliver the almonds, or open a can of the chopped buttered almonds. Melt the butter, flour the fish lightly, and brown quickly in the butter. Salt and pepper them to taste. When you have turned the steaks, add the almonds and chopped parsley. Total cooking time will be 10 minutes per inch thickness. Add more butter to the pan if necessary. Remove the fish to a hot platter, pour the almonds and butter over the top, and surround with lemon wedges.

Serve with plain boiled potatoes.

SAUTÉED ALBACORE WITH TARRAGON AND WHITE WINE

1 albacore steak

4 tablespoons butter

2/3 cup dry white wine

1 teaspoon dried, or 1 tablespoon fresh, tarragon

Choose a good-sized albacore steak – about 1 inch thick or thicker. Melt the butter in a skillet, add the steak, and brown lightly on both sides according to the Canadian cooking theory (page 10), over fairly brisk heat. Add the white wine in which you have soaked the tarragon while the steak is browning. Let the wine cook down rapidly and spoon it over the fish. Remove the fish to a hot platter and pour the wine sauce over it.

Serve with tiny new potatoes smothered in butter and small glazed onions.

FRIED FINGERS OF TUNA

These are delicious for a luncheon dish. If you have the patience to cut the fingers very small, you can serve them as an appetizer with a good dunk sauce.

Cut tuna steaks into small fingers about 3 inches long and 1/2 inch through. Marinate these in oil for 1 hour. Dip them in flour, then in beaten eggs, and roll them in crumbs or corn meal. Fry in deep hot fat heated to 375°. They will take 5 minutes according to the Canadian cooking theory (page 11). Drain on absorbent paper, season with salt and pepper, and serve with tartar sauce (pages 35–36), sauce rémoulade (page 35), or sauce diable (page 29).

VARIATIONS

1. Mix grated Parmesan cheese and a good deal of chili powder in with the crumbs. Roll the fish in this, fry, and serve with a hot Mexican sauce.

2. Mix the crumbs well with sesame seeds. Roll the fish in this, fry, and serve with sauce diable.

3. Roll the fish in sesame seeds