Albacore Tuna And Fresh Asparagus

My plan for the this meal was to be seared tuna and leftover peas and carrots until I discovered that my asparagus was off and running so I opted for it instead.  I've never cooked fresh Albacore Tuna (was surprised at how it was cut) so I went on line in search of recipes and the one I chose for pan seared Albacore Tuna loin came from "Sea Forager." While the recipe was for a pound of tuna, I still made all of the spice ingredients.

Meal Ingredients:

Nice hand full of asparagus (I wanted leftovers)

Grated parmesan cheese to taste

S&P

7 oz. albacore tuna loin, room temperature 

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

For the rub/crust:

1/2 Tbsp paprika 

1 teaspoon salt 

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 

1 teaspoon black pepper 

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon cayenne aleppo pepper

1 teaspoon dried leaf oregano

1 teaspoon dried thyme 

Directions:

Trim then cut the asparagus into 3” pieces.

Steam to desired doneness.

Plate, season with S&P, and top with fresh parmesan cheese.

While the asparagus is cooking, pat your tuna loin dry so that your spices will adhere. 

Rub with a bit of olive oil then season then roll in your crust rub.

Heat a heavy bottomed pan for 4 minutes, then add oil. 

When it shimmers, lay your loin on the pan and LEAVE IT ALONE for one minute. Two if you want it less rare. Your crust will get dark and crispy, this is good. 

Turn and repeat on the other two sides so the outside is uniformly cooked. 

Plate and enjoy with the garden-fresh asparagus.

The Verdict:

For my first ever fresh albacore tuna, I thought it was very good.  I cooked it until the done layer was about 1/8” thick (which was a little less than a minute) then flipped.  The crust was crispy and a little too salty (maybe I applied it too thick) but the center was moist tender and delicious and I look forward to the next batch.  As always, the asparagus was super good right out of the garden. 

Photos can be slightly enlarged by clicking on them and the blue words are links.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by Almost Heaven South.

Larry

3/22/25 event date