Thus Proving the Tuna’s Habitat Is Not a Can

By the NY Times

Say you had a can of tuna, an onion and some cooked white beans. A splash of olive oil, a little red wine vinegar, and couple of basil leaves. Maybe some garlic. Salt, pepper. Sounds good, yes? 

But suppose, in the best of all possible worlds, you had a fillet of fresh albacore and a few pounds of new-crop shelling beans, both of which are in season now. You could make a from-scratch, slow-food version of the same dish. It would require a little time. The reward, though, would be a dish of succulent oil-bathed fish and tender beans that far surpasses the quick one.

Albacore, often considered a lesser tuna, is a treat and easy to prepare at home. It is also abundant, with healthy fisheries all along the Pacific Coast as well as parts of the Atlantic. The best albacore comes from small boats that take smaller fish: tastier, sweeter and lower in mercury. 

Though it can be delicious pan-seared on the rare side, as with a slice of fresh yellowfin, soft-fleshed albacore is ideal for braising in olive oil. Seasoned simply with a little fennel seed, red pepper and rosemary, then baked slowly, it can become the most delightful salad or sandwich or pasta. It tastes best the next day and keeps beautifully for a week in the fridge. Brought to room temp in its oily cooking juices, it can be enjoyed as is, or embellished with a bright, crisp red-pepper relish.

Most Southern cooks know about fresh shelling beans, like butter beans and black-eyed peas. Farm stands throughout the Southeast always have them at this time of year, and their fans are legion. At Northern markets, especially in Italian neighborhoods, you’ll find fresh borlotti (also called cranberry beans for their vivid red pods) and cannellini beans.

They are truly heavenly, with a very particular divine creaminess. Once shucked from their pods, most varieties take only 30 minutes or so to cook. Cover the beans with water; add a sliced onion, a garlic clove, a rosemary sprig and salt, then simmer very gently. Serve them warm, drizzled with good olive oil, or cool, for this exceptional slow-cooked albacore salad.