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<pre>CANNED TUNA

One of the benefits of having a newsletter is that I have an outlet for
information that couldn't make it into my regular columns in Wine Spectator
and Specialty Food Magazine. Such is the case with canned tuna, which wound
up on the cutting
room floor when I finished my Tastes column on tuna for the August 31 issue
of Wine Spectator.

Canned tuna, you're saying, what's the big deal with that?

The big deal isn't Chicken of the Sea or Star-Kist (Sorry, Charlie). It's got
names like As Do Mar, Ortiz, and Gallipo, and it is very high grade tuna from
Italy and Spain. This stuff is light years ahead of the usual tuna salad tuna
in taste, and yes, in price. As Do Mar Ventresca sells for $5.99 for a 125g
(about 4.5 ounces) tin at Corti Brothers in Sacramento.

Darrell Corti of Corti Brothers says canned tuna is "practically sacred" with
Italians, who use it in dishes such as vitello tonnato (cold veal with tuna
sauce), as part of an antipasto platter and in salads, especially with white
beans. "Italians like all sorts of preserved fish. Tuna was recognized early
on as very nutritious." Corti says. "In Piedmont, tuna is held in such high
esteem they make rabbit like tuna because they have no tuna. It's called
tonna di coniglio." (By the way, Darrell, who is one of the most
knowledgeable food and wine people I know, has a very informative, free
newsletter. Call the toll-free number below to get it.)

There are several differences between the canned tuna most Americans eat and
Italian or Spanish tuna. First, Americans like tuna packed in water rather
than oil. This makes for meat with a drier texture. Italians and Spanish pack
tuna in oil, producing softer, juicier meat. (Although the folks at Market
Hall in Oakland, Calif. told me they just got in some really top-notch tuna
in water.) The quality of tuna is often higher as well. It is mostly
yellowfin but it can also be bonito or bluefin. These fish are generally
caught when they are ready to lay their eggs, so they are fatter and richer
tasting.

Tuna also comes in several different styles. The rarest and most prized is
tuna belly meat or ventresca. Japanese love this part, which they call toro,
for sushi. If you want a simple but elegant appetizer, serve this with
cannellini beans, fresh parsley, finely minced sweet onion, a touch of lemon
and a drizzle of your best olive oil. (If desired, you could also add some
finely chopped celery.) This also makes a great lunch by itself.

Filetti are strips from the top loin of the fish. Less delicate and less
expensive than the ventresca, they can be used in the French pan bagna, the
ultimate tuna sandwich, or in salade Nicoise. Both are ideal warm weather
dishes.

Tronco entero, is the body of the tuna. While still delicious, it's the least
expensive and least delicate of the three styles. I'd use it in vitello
tonnato, where subtlety is less important.

Though I liked the As Do Mar (which comes from the Azores but is packed in
Italy), my favorite canned tuna is the Spanish Ortiz, which is available at
Market Hall foods and Zingerman's. Also look for Gallipo, another first-rate
Italian tuna.

Here are some mail order sources:

> Corti Brothers, Sacramento, Calif., 800-509-3663

> Market Hall Foods, Oakland, Calif. 888-952-4005

> Zingerman's, Ann Arbor, Mich. 888-636-8162, zingermans.com

by Sam Gugino
------------------------------------------------------
Kaye Noble

In a message dated 8/15/02 7:39:24 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
caird@... writes:


> A variety of oils, usually the cheapest canola I understand.
>
> Regards
> Peter Caird
> www.victorianolivegroves.com
> AUSTRALIA
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: nehace
> To: OliveOil@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Thursday, August 15, 2002 1:14 PM
> Subject: [OliveOil] tunafish
>
>
> can anyone please tell me what kind of olive oil is being used in
> canned tunafish?thank you.
>
>
>



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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