We had some friends over for dinner, and they specifically asked for something sous vide. Since we already had the entrée planned, we decided to do a sous vide appetizer or salad. Perusing through Modernist Cuisine at Home I came across Sous Vide Tuna Confit. I figured this would work really well to put on a green salad with a sharp vinaigrette.

Let’s start with the end: it is amazing; I recommend this dish with no reservations. It has an amazing tuna flavor, without being too fishy. It has a smooth texture complimented by the fat of the fish. And, I don’t know of another way to make tuna like this. It really highlights the power of sous vide cooking.

An added bonus is that this recipe doesn’t use plastic bags as the cooking vessel. I am always a little scared of all that plastic leaching into my food, regardless of the research to the contrary (my belly helps my brain get over it though). Also, I don’t like having a big chunk of plastic having to go to the landfill either. I’m excited to try the confit-in-a-mason-jar method more often now.

I’m planning on making a sandwich with some of the leftovers too. I might be even more excited for that.

Prep Time: 23 hours

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 24 hours

Yield: 4 servings

Print Recipe

Modernist Cuisine Sous Vide Tuna Confit on Green Salad

We had some friends over for dinner, and they specifically asked for something sous vide. Since we already had the entrée planned, we decided to do a sous vide appetizer or salad. Perusing through Modernist Cuisine at Home I came across Sous Vide Tuna Confit. I figured this would work really well to

Cook Time

60 minutes

Servings

Ingredients

For the Tuna

• 2.5 cups water , room temperature
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 pound tuna steak
• 0.5 cups vegetable oil (or other neutral oil)
• 1.5 cups extra virgin olive oil

For The Salad

• 1 clove garlic minced ,
• 3 tbsps red wine vinegar
• 6 tbsps olive oil
• 5 tsps salt
• 5 tsps black pepper ground
• 16 half cherry tomatoes , cut in
• Salad greens

Cook Time 60 minutes Servings Ingredients For the Tuna 2.5 cups water , room temperature 1 tbsp salt 1 tbsp sugar 1 pound tuna steak 0.5 cups vegetable oil (or other neutral oil) 1.5 cups extra virgin olive oil For The Salad 1 clove garlic minced , 3 tbsps red wine vinegar 6 tbsps olive oil 5 tsps salt 5 tsps black pepper ground 16 half cherry tomatoes , cut in Salad greens

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, combine water, salt and sugar. Stir until all the salt and sugar have dissolved.
2. Cut the tuna into 1 inch cubes. Place the tuna into the brine (make sure the tuna is fully covered by brine), cover the bowl and refrigerate for approximately 24 hours.
3. Heat your water bath to 124ºF.
4. After the tuna is done brining, rinse the cubes in a colander under cold water, then pat dry with paper towels.
5. Divide the tuna evenly among 3 16oz canning jars. Cover the tuna with the oils. Place the lids on the jars and seal well. Place the tuna in your water bath and cook for ~1 hour.
6. For the Salad:
7. In a salad dressing container (or, a canning jar) combine 6 tablespoons olive oil, vinegar, salt and black pepper. Whisk (or shake furiously) until well combined. Mix the dressing with the tomatoes and greens.
8. To Serve:
9. Place a serving of dressed greens on a salad, and then place 3 to 4 pieces of tuna atop each serving.

Recipe Notes

I use the oil and vegetable oil combination to make sure the olive oil flavor didn't come through too strong

Share this Recipe