Algarve Style Pan Fried Tuna Steaks with Caramelized Onions

There are dishes that don’t try too hard, and this is one of them. Well-seasoned tuna steaks, fried until golden on both sides, topped with a mountain of slow-cooked onions that have gone sweet and silky with just a little sticky from a splash of balsamic vinegar. Alongside it, a simple salad of thin sliced tomato, raw onion and roasted green pepper, dressed with nothing more than a drizzle of olive oil and a little white wine vinegar. That’s it. And that’s exactly the point.

Sometimes the simplest things are the best things, and this recipe is proof of that. The onions are the real star here, and the secret is patience, because you want to give them proper time in the pan until they go from sharp and raw to completely golden and melting. Don’t rush that step. Meanwhile, the tuna just needs a good seasoning and a hot pan, and it comes together in no time. The whole thing is on the table in about 40 minutes, which for a dish this satisfying, feels almost like cheating… everyone loves cheating in the kitchen! HA!

This is the kind of meal you make in the Summer time on a Tuesday because you don’t feel like overthinking dinner, and then you end up wondering why you don’t make it every week. Good tuna, great onions, a little salad on the side. Done. Perfect! Let’s check the recipe!

Algarve Style Pan Fried Tuna Steaks with Caramelized Onions

Servings: 2
Time: 40mins
Difficulty: Normal
Rating: ★★★★★
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Yeah yeah i know its a pretty simple dish, but sometimes simplicity is what tastes best! Don't get fooled, get cooking hahahaha ;D

Ingredients

Tuna – 2 steaks
Onions – 3 large ones
Green Bell Pepper – 1 (Already Roasted)
Tomato – 1
Oregano – A pinch
Garlic Powder – A pinch
Pepper – A pinch
Salt – A pinch
Balsamic Vinegar – A few drizzles
Wine Vinegar – A few drizzles
Olive Oil – A few drizzles

Directions

Start by seasoning the tuna with a pinch of salt, pepper, dried garlic, and dried oregano; set aside.

In a frying pan with a drizzle of olive oil, add 2 and 1/2 onions, sliced into strips. Season with a pinch of salt and sauté slowly until the onions are golden brown, don’t rush.

Then season with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar, mix, and set the onions aside in the pan (so they are still cooking, but not on the direct heat).
Add a drizzle of olive oil to the pan, followed by the tuna steaks. Fry both sides until golden brown.
While they are frying, prepare the salad with 1/2 finely chopped onion, finely chopped tomato, and finely chopped roasted green bell pepper. Combine everything in a serving dish, well seasoned with a pinch of salt and pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil and white wine vinegar.
When the tuna steaks are ready, it’s ready to serve. Enjoy!

Notes & Tips: Don’t rush the onions. This is the most important tip/step in this whole recipe. Low and slow is the way to go. If you try to hurry them, you’ll end up with onions that are partially raw and partially burnt, and that’s not what you want. Give them time, stir occasionally, and wait for them to turn properly golden and sweet. It’s worth every minute.

For the tuna seasoning, feel free to adjust to your taste. Some people like a little more oregano, some like a hint of smoked paprika thrown in or a bit of lemon to cut the sweetness. The base of salt, pepper, dried garlic and oregano works really well as it is, but there’s room to play around.

If you can get your hands on a good roasted pepper, even better. You can roast a green pepper directly over a gas flame or under the broiler until the skin is charred all around, then place it in a bag for a few minutes before peeling. The flavour is completely different from raw pepper, and it really lifts the salad.

This is a very common dish in the Algarve, in southern Portugal. Yes, at its core it is mostly just a fried tuna steak and some onions, but who says you always have to have a big complicated meal with lots of sides? This is a super simple recipe that is genuinely delicious, and even though its origins are humble and everyday, nowadays it’s considered something of a delicacy, which is very much deserved if you ask me.

As a personal sidenote: I’ve made this dish quite a few times, and once I used frozen tuna steaks. They came out okay, but the best results come from defrosting them slowly in the fridge first and then cooking them once they’re fully thawed. I think it makes a real difference in texture and flavour. Although, if I know I’m planning to make this, I usually just head over to the fishmonger and pick up one or two fresh tuna steaks ;D

This recipe for Algarve Style Pan Fried Tuna Steaks with Caramelized Onions was originally created on BakeAfter.com. Esta receita de Cebolada de Bifes de Atum foi publicada em português no Iguaria.com.