November 22, 2011
Cured Tuna 26.11.11

Fennel cured tuna loin

When I first moved to Guildford in Surrey six years ago I was dismayed that there didn't seem to be a decent fishmonger in town. After living in Asia where people buy fish when its still swimming and prawns that are still wriggling I had become used to vibrant fish counters and tanks where farmed and wild catch shared the sales floor. In contrast I found it depressing gazing into a fish counter in a supermarket which can be really hit and miss on so many levels. Then a shop opened round the corner and this thankfully has turned out to be a proper fishmongers. The fish is as fresh as it gets inland and from sustainable sources, in addition the guys behind the counter know what they are doing . Not only are they expert at filleting whole fish, preparing squid and other seafood they are more than happy to do this for you. So when I got the urge the other day to cure a tuna loin I headed over to Chelsea Fishmonger for the centrepiece.

They only had one loin left but it looked perfect so I got a section cut off the end that weighed in at 600g. For the cure I am using a mixture of Maldon sea salt, golden brown caster sugar and crushed fennel seeds.

You can crush the fennel seeds in a pestle and mortar with the salt. It doesnt have to be really fine but you want to be sure to release the flavour of this spice.

Use the cling film to rub the cure mixture over the surface of the fish. You can discard this afterwards and let the fish sit on any extra cure. Cover with cling wrap and refrigerate. You can already see the water being drawn out below. In 12 hours there will be a pool of brine in the base of the dish. Keep turning the loin over a 3 day period at the end of which the fish will be ready to eat. If you leave a couple of days longer it will be fine.

The liquid (shown below) is the water that has been drawn out of the fish is by a process known as osmosis. This changes the texture of the fish and in the case of tuna a smooth slighly creamy mouthfeel. The salt and sugar also kill off any bacteria that may have been on the surface of the fish as the chlorine ion is toxic to bacteria. Knowing that muscle meat is sterile gives you the confidence to do this type of curing at home providing you start with really good quality fish from a reliable source.

The tuna has now been curing for 4 days. The colour has darkened on the exterior which is normal. Now you remove the fish from the dish and scrape off the fennel seeds and discard them along with the liquid. Pat the fish dry with some paper towel and slice as thinly as you can using a sharp knife. I use a long knife that I originally bought for sliced smoked or cured salmon.

I had been thinking about how I would serve this and had already bought a bulb of fresh organic fennel to go with it. Then a couple of days ago I met a friend for lunch at the Petersham Nursery Restaurant in Richmond where Skye Gyngell is in charge of the kitchen (the subject of my next entry). For our starter we shared a carpaccio of smoked haddock with shaved fennel salad. The flavour of the fish was enhanced with lemon zest and a drizzle of good olive oil. The fennel has been tossed with some fresh chives and parsley.

So with that in mind I garnished the finely cut tuna with freshly grated lemon zest from an unwaxed lemon. The fennel was cut really thin and tossed with freshly chopped parsley from my garden, a drizzle of olive oil, a squeeze of lemon juice and freshly ground black pepper. I would serve this as a starter or as a light lunch with bread.

I loved the way this turned out and it will definately be on my menu for the Christmas period this year.

Fennel seed cured tuna loin with shaved Florence fennel salad

Serve with some warm sour dough bread for a more substantial meal.

Download recipe file here