Tuna Sauce

Tuna sauce is prepared by using tuna as a base ingredient or flavoring ingredient. Sometimes this term is also used to refer to sauces served over tuna fillets or other tuna based dishes. Tuna mayonnaise is one of the popular variants of tuna sauce.

 

 

Tuna Sauce Preparation Overview

This is a basic recipe for tuna sauce which is prepared using tuna as a base ingredient.

  • Ingredients – Olive oil, onion, crushed garlic, capers, crushed tomatoes, lemon juice, fresh parsley, red pepper flakes, and tuna are used in the preparation of sauce.
     
  • Method of Preparation – The sauce preparation begins by sautéing onion and crushed garlic in olive oil, and it is cooked with capers, lemon juice, tomatoes, and parsley. The sauce is seasoned with red pepper flakes and simmered until it thickens.
     
  • Serving – This sauce is served over tuna based dishes or pasta dishes are tossed in it before serving.

 

Popular Tuna Sauce Recipes 

These sauces are prepared using tuna as a base ingredient. 

  • Tuna Mayonnaise – A sauce which is prepared by cooking tuna in cream sauce like base. Tuna mayonnaise is always served as a condiment or addition to other dishes.  The recipes for tuna mayonnaise vary largely depending on the taste preferences of individuals. Some of the consistent ingredients found in the sauce include heavy cream, eggs, yogurt and oil. All these ingredients are pureed with tuna in a food processor or blender.



    Some times this term is used to refer a combination of actual mayonnaise and tuna which remains chunkier and often contains ingredients like chopped vegetables. The sauce is served in various ways. Sometimes it is served over tuna patties or other fish entrees or it is used as a condiment in the preparation of salads like shrimp salad, green salad and pasta salad. It is also used for topping sandwiches and deviled eggs.

     
  • Tonnato Sauce – This is a popular North Italian sauce served over cold veal. Sometimes the sauce is also paired with turkey, cold chicken or used as a substitute for plain mayo. This sauce makes good dip for vegetables.



    Mayo, virgin olive oil, tuna in olive oil, anchovy fillets, fresh lemon juice, and drained capers are used in the preparation of sauce. All these ingredients are blended together in a blender or food processor. The sauce is served after seasoning with salt and pepper.



    The veal topped with tuna sauce or tonnato is a popular summertime dish in Italy. This dish is known as Vitello Tonnato. Generally canned variety of tuna fish is used in the preparation of sauce. The sauce is prepared a day in advance and served along with veal. Sometimes the veal seared in tonnato refrigerated for about 5 days to develop full flavors.

 

Sauces Served with Tuna Dishes

Sauces are also sercved with a variety of tuna dishes. The most popular sauce is-

 

  • Lemon Caper Sauce – Lemon and capers impart a tangy flavor to the sauce, which goes well with the broiled tuna steaks. The tuna is grilled on a stove top grill or on a traditional grill.

    Butter, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, capers, freshly chopped parsley, olive oil, salt and pepper are required to make this sauce.

    The sauce preparation begins by sautéing garlic and cooking it with zest, lemon juice and capers. Parsley is added to the sauce.

    Lemon capers sauce is served after drizzling over the tuna steaks.