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1 large fresh thyme sprig or a large pinch of dried

2 medium tomatoes

1½ to 2 pounds tuna or swordfish

About ½ cup pitted and roughly chopped black olives

1. Put the olive oil in a 10- or 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, a healthy pinch of salt, some pepper, and the thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture starts to sizzle, a minute or two. Adjust the heat so that you have to stir only every 5 minutes at most to keep the onions from browning. They will become progressively softer; do not allow them to brown. Figure at least 30 minutes total for the onions to cook.

2. Core the tomatoes, then cut them in half horizontally. Squeeze and shake out the seeds, then cut the tomatoes into ½-inch dice. Preheat a grill to moderately hot.

3. When the onions are very soft, almost a shapeless mass, season the fish and grill it, turning once, for a total of about 6 minutes for tuna, 8 to 10 minutes for swordfish; check for doneness by making a small cut in the center of the fish and peeking inside. (Tuna can be quite rare; swordfish is best cooked to medium, when its interior is still slightly pearly rather than completely opaque.) While the fish is grilling, stir the olives and tomatoes into the onions and raise the heat a bit; cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes liquefy and the mixture becomes juicy. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve the fish on a bed of the onion confit.

VARIATIONS

Chicken with Onion Confit

Serve the onions with grilled skinless, boneless chicken breasts.

• Omit the thyme and use a bay leaf instead, or finish the dish with a handful of chopped fresh basil, chervil, or parsley.

• Cook some finely chopped aromatic vegetables, like carrots, celery or fennel, and garlic, along with the onions.

TUNA AU POIVRE

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

TIME: 15 MINUTES

NOWADAYS MOST EXPERIENCED home cooks grill tuna, but there are alternatives. Top of my list is tuna au poivre, yet another recipe that plays on tuna’s similarity to beef steaks. How finely to grind the pepper turns out to be a matter of taste. Mine dictates “coarsely ground” as opposed to “cracked.” That is, ground to the point where there are no large pieces left, but not to the point of powder. The coarser you make the grind, the more powerful the result will taste.

2 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Two 8 to 10-ounce tuna steaks, each at least 1 inch thick

Salt

2 tablespoons butter (or more oil)

¼ cup minced shallot

¾ cup dry red wine

1. Preheat the oven to 500°F. Put the pepper on a flat plate. Put the olive oil in a large skillet, preferably nonstick, over medium-high heat. Dredge both sides of each piece of tuna lightly in the pepper; it will adhere nicely, forming a thin coat. (Use a bit more pepper if necessary.) As they’re dredged, add the steaks to the pan (if you must use 2 pans, double the amount of oil); when they are all in, turn the heat to high. Cook for about 2 minutes, then turn; add salt, then cook for another 1 minute. Turn the heat to low, transfer the steaks to an ovenproof plate, and place in the oven.

2. Add half the butter to the pan (if you used 2 pans to brown the tuna, use just one to make the sauce), followed by the shallot. Turn the heat to medium and cook, stirring, until the shallot softens, about 2 minutes. Turn the heat to medium-high and add the wine; let it bubble away for a minute or so and add the remaining butter. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the butter melts and the sauce is thickened.

3. By this time the tuna steaks will be medium-rare (cut into one to make certain and roast a little longer if you like). Put each of them on a plate and spoon a little of the sauce over it. Serve immediately.

GRILLED SWORDFISH “SANDWICH” WITH GREEN SAUCE

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

TIME: 30 MINUTES

BECAUSE THE SAUCE is so moist, swordfish treated in this way will take a little longer to grill than usual; the interior, after all, has what amounts to a thick liquid cooling it off. So instead of cooking a one-and-a-half-inch-thick