Grilled Albacore With Yogurt-Dill Sauce on a Bed of Arugula

By Martha Rose Shulman

Grilled Albacore With Yogurt-Dill Sauce on a Bed of Arugula
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
Total Time
2 hours 15 minutes
Rating
5(66)
Comments
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This is based on a recipe for red mullet from “Classic Turkish Cooking” by Ghillie Basan. Red mullet isn’t so easy to come by in the United States, and albacore works well here. In the authentic Turkish dish, the red mullet is marinated in a mixture of onion juice and lemon juice with bay leaf. This step is optional; it tenderizes the fish and adds terrific flavor, but grilled albacore is nice enough on its own. Dill is the traditional herb for this recipe, but mint is very nice as well.

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Ingredients

Yield:Serves 4

    For the Optional Marinade

    • 2large onions
    • Salt to taste
    • 2tablespoons fresh lemon juice
    • 2tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
    • 4bay leaves, broken up

    For the Fish

    • 4albacore steaks, about 6 ounces each
    • Salt
    • freshly ground pepper
    • 2tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (omit if the fish has been marinated)

    For the Serving

    • 2garlic cloves, halved, green shoots removed
    • Generous pinch of salt
    • ½cup thick Greek-style or drained yogurt
    • 2tablespoons fresh lemon juice
    • 2 to 4tablespoons finely chopped dill or mint
    • Salt
    • freshly ground pepper
    • 1bag baby arugula, preferably the wild variety
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

401 calories; 17 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 10 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 15 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 7 grams sugars; 48 grams protein; 930 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    If marinating the fish: Quarter the onions and place in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add a generous pinch of salt and pulse the onions until puréed and watery. Line a strainer with a double thickness of cheesecloth and dump in the puréed onions. Take up the edges of the cheesecloth and squeeze out the onion juice (you can also use a cloth kitchen towel for this). Discard the pulp. Add to the onion juice the lemon juice, olive oil and bay leaves. Place the fish steaks in the marinade, turn over a few times, cover the bowl and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours, basting or turning the fish from time to time.

  2. Step 2

    Heat a hot charcoal or gas grill, or a grill pan or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. If you have not marinated the fish, simply salt and pepper and brush with olive oil. Combine the yogurt, garlic and lemon juice in a bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper and stir in the dill or mint. Set aside.

  3. Step 3

    Arrange the arugula on a large serving platter.

  4. Step 4

    Grill the fish on each side for 2 to 4 minutes, depending on how rare you like it. Brush the unturned side with marinade (or just olive oil) before turning it over. Transfer the fish to the platter, placing the steaks on top of the arugula. Spoon the yogurt sauce over the fish and arugula, and serve.

Tip
  • Advance preparation: You can make both the marinade and the yogurt sauce several hours ahead of time. They become more pungent as they sit.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
66 user ratings
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Comments

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Jill

Loved this! The sauce was delicious! ( Although I was wondering re:the garlic. Didn’t say to chop. So I roasted and chopped. Added a tiny bit of raw chopped, too.) Added a few roasted brussel sprouts, too.Nice to find something delicious and easy!

Abbey

Tuna filets were pretty thick so my husband followed the higher end of the recommended cooking time. Came out tough and like canned tuna, all gray throughout. Even with the marinade. Didn’t even finish it. Dill yogurt sauce was good. If you make this recipe please do a quick sear on each side, 1-2 min max so it still has some color in the center and remains edible.

SFMamma

The sauce was dill-icious with the albacore tuna! Even better on the arugula. We had some white rice on the side which was a nice balance to the meal.

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