I always worried about cooking tuna steaks. I’d heard they’re easily dry and bland. My only experience with fresh tuna was a seared steak a long, long time ago in a restaurant. The steak was very rare in the middle and I wasn’t sure if it was really supposed to be that rare. Now I know that it was. For me as a first time tuna steak eater that was a bit hard core, even if I am used to gravad lax, pickled herring and salt cured whitefish. 

I didn’t really pay that much attention to the taste of the steak though, becuase I was with a guy I thought was an exceptionally marvellous and promising date. Unsurprisingly he turned out to be an asshole.

It took quite a while (more than 15 years) to get my courage up to try a tuna steak again. Now happily married, asshole free, I thought let’s go for it. After all lots of people love it and cook it successfully – otherwise there would be no tuna. Right? (No, I’m not that stupid.) I found a great recipe that came with rave reviews, so I thought it must work. And it does! Every time. I have now made it several times and it’s beautiful just as it is in the original recipe. 

I have made some tiny tweaks. Husband is not a huge fan of soy sauce, so I’ve ever so slightly cut that down. I love fresh oregano. I know Barefoot Contessa wouldn’t approve, she always goes on how it’s too strong and dried is better, and I like her a lot, but oreganowise I can’t agree. So I have upped the amount of fresh oregano. Garlic I keep down on this one. But these are really minor adjustments.

My tweaked seared tuna in orange and soy marinade (serves 4)

Marinade

 1/4 cup orange juice

 3 tbsp soy sauce

 4 tablespoons olive oil

 1 tablespoon lemon juice

 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

 1 small clove garlic, minced

 1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano

 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Mix all the marinade ingredients, cover the 4 steaks carefully in the marinade and leave in the fridge for a few hours. Take to room temperature 15-30 min before cooking. Cook to your liking. The proper way is to sear quickly on the outside leaving the steaks rose in the middle, but husband wants his done all the way through. I make sure not to overcook it though, but with this recipe even when cooked through the fish is still moist and luscious.