Baked Fresh Tuna, or Tonno Fresco al Cartoccio: This is a classic Versilian recipe, from the coastal plain north of Pisa. Like most old Italian recipes it is short on quantities -- purchase enough fish to feed your diners.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:
- A 6-inch (15 cm) sprig of rosemary
- Breadcrumbs
- A fresh tuna fillet sufficient to feed your guests (figure 1 1/8 pounds, or 500 g, for 4)
- Lemon
Preparation:
Mince the leaves of a sprig of rosemary and combine them with a handful of breadcrumbs.Preheat your oven to 400 f (200 C).
Coat a nice thick tuna fillet liberally with the breadcrumb mixture, and lay it on a sheet of oiled tissue more than twice the size of the slice of fish.
Wrap up the fish, put it in an oven dish with a light sprinkling of oil, and roast the slice for about a half hour. About ten minutes before it's done, pour 1/2 cup dry white wine over the fish; as it evaporates it will impart its delicate perfume to the fish. Remove the fish from its packet to a serving platter, and serve it with slices of lemon and baby peas as a side dish.
The wine? A white from the Colline Lucchesi would be nice.
