- 2 toro (bellies) from a 14 1/2 pound tuna (6.5 kg)
- 1 branch thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 branch rosemary
- 5 leaves green basil
- 30 thin slices Jabugo ham
- 12 wedges oven-dried tomato
- saffron
- cooking olive oil
- seasoning olive oil
- fleur de sel
- coarse ground pepper
Biscay Sauce
- 4 Choricero pimientos
- 3 1/2 ounces yellow onions (100 g)
- 5 cloves garlic
- 2 1/2 ounces thin slices Jabugo ham (75 g)
- 2 1/2 ounces Jabugo ham trimmings (75 g)
- 5 sprigs basil
- 7 ounces tomato paste (200 g)
- 1 sprig thyme
- 1/2 bay leaf
- saffron
- olive oil
- fleur de sel
- Espelette pepper
Instructions
Step 1: Tuna
Remove the skin and the fattiest parts (on the outer side) from the toro. Slice each belly in two to make 4 rectangles of the same size. Place onto a stainless steel plate, add the herbs, and lightly coat in oil. Cover the plate with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
Remove the herbs from the tuna bellies, and dry slightly to soak up any excess oil.
Lightly season the fish with fleur de sel and freshly ground pepper. Begin the cooking on a griddle on the presentation side. Cook the tuna on one side only, avoiding heating the griddle too much and risk overcooking them.. Remove when still pink, place directly on to the hot Biscay sauce (recipe below), and flip them, which will slightly cook the raw portion of the toro in the hot sauce.
Set aside to cool at room temperature. Cover the dish with plastic wrap, and set on a bed of ice to chill.
Step 2: Biscay Sauce
Peel the yellow onions and slice evenly.
Remove the stem from the Choricero pimiento. Slice in two and remove the inside membrane and seeds. Slice evenly, as with the onions.
Remove the leaves of the basil from the stems and slice thinly. Set the stems aside for cooking the sauce.
Julienne the thin slices of Jabugo ham.
Heat some olive oil in a cast iron pot and add the onion slices. Simmer over a low heat.
Lightly season with fleur de sel, then add the pimiento slices, ham trimmings, unpeeled garlic, thyme, bay leaf and basil stems. Lightly sweat, then add the tomato paste, and bake for 2 hours at 285°F (140°C).
Once cooked, remove the bacon trimmings, basil, thyme and bay leaf. Add the ham julienne, chopped basil, Espelette chilli, and saffron. Check the seasoning, cover and simmer for 10 minutes, then spread the Biscay sauce out evenly in an oval baking dish.
This recipe was originally published in "Culinary Encyclopedia by Alain Ducasse" (Éditions Alain Ducasse). See all credits
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