Yes, You Can Marinate Tuna In Wine. Here's How To Do It Right

Tuna is a delicate fish that can be tricky to get right, especially if you're planning to marinate it. Sure, it is the type of culinary canvas that soaks up flavors well, but this is also a fish that degrades quickly and can become mushy if you use high-acid ingredients for its marinade. Still, simple seared Ahi tuna can sometimes use a little TLC to make its taste pop, and wine could be just the ingredient to do this. Ed Cotton, chef and partner at Jack & Charlie's and Leonetta in New York City, exclusively shared some tips for this with Tasting Table.

Firstly, if you are going to use vino as your base liquid, you want to start by boiling it. Cotton suggests you "bring a pot of red wine and herbs to a boil then cool it down and pour over the tuna loin." Cotton adds: "Making sure that you bring the wine to a full boil is important. It could really start to denature the meat if the wine is raw and untreated." Similar to when you make a classic ceviche, high-acid liquids like wine can cook or cure the fish. When boiled, the wine's acidity becomes more subtle, preventing this.

Once your wine is boiled and the flavors are concentrated, you are ready to marinate your tuna. Chef Ed Cotton suggests that you "marinate it for a few hours then grill it or char it. It could heighten the tuna flavor for sure." He also notes that you do not want to throw out the leftovers but instead, "reduce the red wine marinade and finish it with butter for a red wine butter sauce." The restauranter says this process should work with most tuna varieties.

When selecting a wine for your tuna marinade, Cotton suggests a light-bodied red wine such as a Gamay, Grenache, or Pinot Noir that can be infused with herbs. And, while a cheap wine will work, remember, when you boil it down, the flavors become concentrated, so if you wouldn't drink it, you probably don't want to give your fish a bath in it either. So, if you're looking for a new way to make this fish, add a wine marinade to your list of tasty tuna steak recipes.