Mediterranean Tuna

This is the kind of meal that smells like a vacation the second you pop the lid off that skillet. Tuna steaks cook right on top of a simmering sauce built from stewed tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and a splash of dry white wine.

The olive paste stirred in at the end is what sets this apart from a standard poached fish. It adds a salty, briny punch that ties all the Mediterranean flavors together. Let the sauce simmer covered before adding the fish so those artichokes have time to soften and soak up the wine and oregano.

You want the tuna just cooked through, not dry. Five minutes covered in that bubbling sauce is usually enough for thinner steaks. Thicker cuts closer to an inch will need the full ten.

Kitchen Tips

• Pat your tuna steaks dry before setting them on the sauce so they don’t dilute the liquid.
• Frozen artichoke hearts work great here and don’t need thawing first.
• Use a skillet with a tight-fitting lid so the steam cooks the fish evenly from the top.
• Leftover sauce is fantastic spooned over crusty bread or tossed with pasta the next day.

Variations

• Swap tuna for swordfish or halibut steaks and adjust cook time by a minute or two.
• Add a pinch of red pepper flakes with the oregano for some heat.
• Toss in a handful of capers or sliced Kalamata olives alongside the olive paste for extra brine.