Garlic Lemon Tuna Steaks - Sous Vide

Tender and flavorful, these garlic lemon tuna steaks are well-seasoned and lightly cooked to perfection, vacuum-sealed, with a precision cooker. Just slice to serve! 

This summer our lovely little island decided to award a few limited fishing licenses for bluefin tuna to local fishermen in our Channel Island waters. It was such a big deal that every time one was caught, it made the news! Write-ups in the local paper with amazing photos. Those are some massive fish!

We’d never tasted bluefin before so you know our next shopping trip to town included a stop at the fish market. I hopped out and left my husband waiting in the car – no need to park – only to pull up short when faced with closed shutters on the fish stalls. I completely forgot that the market closes early on a Thursday!

All hope was not lost though because one of their doors was still open. I knocked and called out and the wonderful fishmonger responded, coming out of his back office. Bless him, he cut me two of the nicest, freshest, reddest tuna steaks I’d ever seen! (He also gifted me with two roe sacs so I could attempt making bottarga.)

I seasoned and simply seared the bluefin steaks because we wanted to really taste the tuna. To see if it was any different from our usual yellowfin. I am here to report that it was very nice but if you had blindfolded me, I don’t think I’d have known the difference. But you know what? Now at least we can say we’ve eaten and enjoyed line-caught, Channel Island bluefin tuna! 

Garlic Lemon Tuna Steaks - Sous Vide

As you can see from my list below, I used yellowfin for this particular recipe. Use whatever lovely, very fresh tuna you can buy. 

Ingredients

2 (6 oz or 170g) yellowfin tuna steaks

Fine sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Zest 1/2 lemon

1 clove garlic, lightly crushed

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoon olive oil

Optional to serve: Cut the ½ lemon you zested into wedges for squeezing

Method

Dry the tuna steaks with paper towels, then season them generously on all sides with salt and pepper. Chill in the refrigerator uncovered for 30 minutes. 

Meanwhile, zest your lemon with a microplane and crush the garlic. 

Set up the precision cooker. In a vessel deep enough to keep the tuna submerged, preheat the water to 110°F or 43.3°C.

Put the lemon zest, garlic, bay leaves and olive oil in a Ziploc bag that is big enough for the tuna steaks not to touch each other. (I used a quart size bag.) Make sure everything is nicely distributed. 

Add the chilled tuna steaks to the bag and gently rub them around so they are coated with the olive oil, lemon zest, bay leaves and garlic.

Close the bag until it is just open on side of the zipper and carefully submerge it in a vessel of cool water to displace the air, zipping it completely closed when all the air is out. 

When your pot of water is at the correct temperature, put the tuna bag in it and secure it to one side. I use clothes pegs for this. Set the cook timer on your precision cooker to 30 minutes. (As you can see, this photo was taken three minutes in.)

When the precision timer turns off, remove the bag from the water.

Leave the tuna steaks in the bag for another five minutes, then remove and chill before slicing. Reserve the contents of the bag for plating up.

I like to use a rolling pin to really mash the garlic inside the bag and, once the tuna is chilled and sliced, I spoon the mashed garlic, lemon zest and olive oil all down the slices. 

Or, if you prefer, you can serve it sashimi-style with soy sauce, wasabi and pickled ginger.

Enjoy!

Welcome to the 20th edition of Alphabet Challenge 2026, brought to you by the letter T. Many thanks to Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm for organizing and creating the challenge. Check out all the T recipes below:

• Butternut Squash, Thyme, Ham, & Wild Rice Soup from Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Chanya Tondak from Mayuri’s Jikoni
• Cheeseburger Tacos from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Garlic Lemon Tuna Steaks - Sous Vide from Food Lust People Love
• Homemade Taco Seasoning from Sneha’s Recipe
• Tomatillo Salad from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Tortilla Española from Culinary Cam
• Turkey and Sweet Potato Chili Joes from A Messy Kitchen
• Tuscan Sausage Soup from Jolene’s Recipe Journal

Here are my posts for the 2026 alphabet challenge, thus far:

A: Ají de Cerdo aka Peruvian Pork Stew

B: Baby Cos Peach Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing 

C. Traditional Cullen Skink 

D. Coconut Cream Date Caramel 

E. Edamame Summer Salad 

F. Lamb Feta Mint Patties 

G. Ricotta Gnocchi à la Poêle 

H. Hazelnut Vodka 

I. Italian Sausage Stuffed Mini Peppers - this post!

J. Jägersuppe - Hunter's Soup 

K. Easy Chicken Kapama 

L. Easy Lamb Shoulder Roast 

M. Miso Chocolate Cookies 

N. Duck Egg Narjissiya 

O. Marinated Apéro Olives

P. Bacon and Pork Patties 

Q. Baked Quail Egg XO Sauce Appetizers 

R. Roasted Stuffed Chicken Parcels 

S. Scallop Roe Bottarga 

T. Garlic Lemon Tuna Steaks - Sous Vide - this post!

To check out the Alphabet Challenges for 2024 and 2025, click here.

Pin these Garlic Lemon Tuna Steaks – Sous Vide!

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Scallop Roe Bottarga

Scallop roe bottarga is a condiment made with fresh roe, lots of salt and time. It’s wonderful grated on almost anything, adding a lovely briny flavor.

I’ve got to admit that while I love fresh scallops and we buy them from time to time when we are here in the Channel Islands, I’m not really a fan of the roe. I’ve tried cooking it with the scallops but even a bunch of garlic can’t help me get over the texture. They’re just kinda spongy. 

So every time I take them off and discard them, I feel bad. The ones here are so plump and pretty - such a vibrant orange! - that it seems a shame to waste them. A couple of years ago, I was in Phoenicia supermarket in Houston with its great deli counter and stacked shelves of tasty imported goods when I came across bottarga. I had never heard of it before. 

I looked it up when I got home. Bottarga is the salted, cured, dried pouch of fish roe, most commonly from the grey mullet or bluefin tuna. According to my search, it’s an ancient delicacy dating back to Phoenician and Egyptian times, and it remains a staple in Mediterranean cooking, especially in Italy, Sardinia, and Greece.

Well, the small piece of bottarga in the deli section of Phoenicia was quite expensive for something I’d just like to try, so I left it behind but, when faced with throwing out yet more scallop roe, I remembered and it occurred to me that roe is roe, after all, and maybe I could make my own bottarga. 

Turns out I’m not the first person to have this idea because I came across a few recipes/instructions for salting and curing scallop roe and I decided to give it a try. Took me two attempts to get the timings right but I was very pleased with the end result. 

Scallop Roe Bottarga

Avoid cooking or heating bottarga directly, instead, add it as a finishing touch to hot dishes. My recipe is adapted from one on Peckham Kitchen. 

Ingredients

Trimmed scallop roe

Sea salt

Time

Patience!

Method

Soak the roe for 24 hours in a 10% salt solution, i.e. 10g salt for every 100ml cold water, in the refrigerator. 

The next day, remove the roe from the salt water, drain and pat dry with paper towels. 

On a deep plate or shallow bowl where the roe will fit in a single layer, pour sea salt flakes to create a flat, even bed for the roe. Place the roe on top in one layer. Cover the roe with more salt. Place the plate in the refrigerator.

After 24 hours, remove the roe from the salt. Gently brush away any salt that has stuck to it. Mine was completely wet and the salt dissolved both times I made this. I tipped the bowl for this photos so you can see the liquid pooled on the side, if you squint just right. 

Pat the roe dry. Rinse the plate, discarding the salt and any liquid that has collected. 

Wash and dry the plate and cover it with fresh salt. Add the roe and cover it with salt as well. Return the plate to the refrigerator.  

Repeat this process for several days after which time the roes should have firmed up. The first time I made scallop roe bottarga, I did this for four days and determined that a whole week would result in firmer roe. So that’s what I did the second time. 

The traditional method to dry the roe further so it can be grated, is to place it in a single layer of cheesecloth and hang in a cool dry place for 10 to 15 days. This would no doubt work if you have a cool, dry place. Summertime on an island was not ideal. 

I chose a more modern method which is what I recommend if you have access to a dehydrator. Dehydrate the roe, covered in whatever salt is still stuck to them, at 122°F or 50°C for 48 hours. The first batch, with its shorter salting time, needed longer to dry out.

I store mine, still covered in its light layer of salt, in a glass container in the refrigerator, brushing off all of the salt well when I want to grate some. It keeps for ages like that. 

Using a sharp grater, like a microplane, you can sprinkle bottarga on anything that needs a little saltiness – where you might add Parmesan, perhaps - with the added bonus of a delightful briny, marine flavor. It’s magical on buttered pasta! Or scrambled eggs. Or risotto.

Enjoy! 

I grated the one I'd rubbed free of salt for these photos. Isn't the color marvelous! Enjoy! 

Welcome to the 19th edition of Alphabet Challenge 2026, brought to you by the letter S. Many thanks to Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm for organizing and creating the challenge. Check out all the S recipes below:

• Buttery Deviled Eggs with Celery & Shrimp from Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Italian Sausage Stuffed Shells from Blogghetti
• Sago Idli Sabbakki Idli from Sizzling Tastebuds
• Sai Bhaji from Mayuri’s Jikoni 
• Salted Crispy Oatmeal Cookies from A Messy Kitchen 
• Scallop Roe Bottarga from Food Lust People Love
• Sear Roasted Steak from Karen’s Kitchen Stories 
• Sesame Scallion Star from Magical Ingredients
• Sheet Pan Gnocchi with Sausage, Peppers and Onions from Jolene’s Recipe Journal
• Squash Blossom Crêpes from Culinary Cam 
• Strawberry Shortcake Cheesecake from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Vrat Siddu With Walnut Chutney from Sneha’s Recipe 

Here are my posts for the 2026 alphabet challenge, thus far:

A: Ají de Cerdo aka Peruvian Pork Stew

B: Baby Cos Peach Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing 

C. Traditional Cullen Skink 

D. Coconut Cream Date Caramel 

E. Edamame Summer Salad 

F. Lamb Feta Mint Patties 

G. Ricotta Gnocchi à la Poêle 

H. Hazelnut Vodka 

I. Italian Sausage Stuffed Mini Peppers - this post!

J. Jägersuppe - Hunter's Soup 

K. Easy Chicken Kapama 

L. Easy Lamb Shoulder Roast 

M. Miso Chocolate Cookies 

N. Duck Egg Narjissiya 

O. Marinated Apéro Olives

P. Bacon and Pork Patties 

Q. Baked Quail Egg XO Sauce Appetizers 

R. Roasted Stuffed Chicken Parcels 

S. Scallop Roe Bottarga - this post!

To check out the Alphabet Challenges for 2024 and 2025, click here.

Pin this Scallop Roe Bottarga!

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Roasted Stuffed Chicken Parcels

These roasted stuffed chicken parcels are made with skin-on, boneless chicken thighs, filled with buttery bread dressing and roasted until golden and crispy. 

A couple of years back, I popped into my nearby Island butcher just to see what was fresh and on special. I ended up buying a few of his lovely meaty pork sausages but something else in the display case caught my eye.

I had to lean in for a closer look and to read the price label because I had never seen anything quite like it before. Turned out to be stuffed chicken parcels, looking pretty much like the ones I’ve made here. No idea what their stuffing was like because I didn’t buy any but they were so cute that I knew I had to give them a try myself. 

Roasted Stuffed Chicken Parcels

I stuffed mine with half of my classic buttery bread dressing recipe, which I’ve shared the method for again here. If you need photos of the process, you can find those by clicking here. Use the ingredient amounts given below though which are perfect for stuffing about five chicken thighs. 

Ingredients

For the stuffing:

1/2 loaf quality sandwich bread with soft crusts (about 10 oz or 280g)

1/4 cup or 57g butter

1 onion, diced

2 slim stalks celery, de-stringed and diced finely

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

1/2 cup or 120ml chicken stock (made from stock cube is fine!)

1 tablespoon salt-free poultry seasoning

1/2 teaspoon cayenne

Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the chicken: 

5 chicken thighs, deboned, skin on

fine sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

cayenne pepper, optional

trussing string

Olive oil for the roasting pan

Method

For photos of the stuffing method, click here.

Cube the bread and put it in a large mixing bowl.

Put the butter in a large pan with the chopped onion and celery.

Melt the butter over medium heat and cook until the onions and celery are soft and translucent, stirring occasionally. Add a good pinch of salt, a few grinds of black pepper, along with the cayenne and poultry seasoning.

Pour the buttery celery and onions over the bread cubes in the mixing bowl. Use two spoons like salad tongs to toss and combine.

Sprinkle on the parsley. Add the stock and toss again to combine.

Check for seasoning and stir in more salt and pepper as needed. Depending on the saltiness of your stock, you might not need much (or any) salt.

Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C.

Note: I found it impossible to find boneless chicken thighs with the skin still on here so I had to debone them myself. If you find yourself in the same position, you need a sharp knife, but it’s easy. Click here to find deboning thigh instructions on Serious Eats. Do not remove the skin! 

Lay the chicken thighs out skin side down. Season them with a sprinkling of salt, black pepper and cayenne, if using. Divide the stuffing between the thighs.

Fold the chicken thigh meat and skin over to enclose the stuffing. Turn the parcels over and secure with trussing string. 

Drizzle a little olive oil in your roasting pan and tuck the parcels in. Season the outside with a sprinkle of salt and a few good grinds of black pepper. Add a sprinkle of cayenne, if desired. 

Roast in your preheated oven for about 35-40 minutes or until the skin is a lovely golden brown and the chicken is cooked through. 

Remove the trussing string and serve hot. 

Enjoy!

Welcome to the 18th edition of Alphabet Challenge 2026, brought to you by the letter R. Many thanks to Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm for organizing and creating the challenge. Check out all the R recipes below:

• Ginger Grilled Chicken and Radishes from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Homemade Ricotta Cheese from Sneha’s Recipe
• Migliaccio (Italian Ricotta and Semolina Cake) from A Messy Kitchen
• Mild Curry Chicken Salad with Diced Red Apples from Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Mysore Rasam from Mayuri’s Jikoni
• Ricotta Basil Rolls from Magical Ingredients
• Roasted Stuffed Chicken Parcels from Food Lust People Love
• Spicy Slaw with Red Cabbage and Mango from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Strawberry Rhubarb Pie with Crumb Topping from Blogghetti

Here are my posts for the 2026 alphabet challenge, thus far:

A: Ají de Cerdo aka Peruvian Pork Stew

B: Baby Cos Peach Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing 

C. Traditional Cullen Skink 

D. Coconut Cream Date Caramel 

E. Edamame Summer Salad 

F. Lamb Feta Mint Patties 

G. Ricotta Gnocchi à la Poêle 

H. Hazelnut Vodka 

I. Italian Sausage Stuffed Mini Peppers - this post!

J. Jägersuppe - Hunter's Soup 

K. Easy Chicken Kapama 

L. Easy Lamb Shoulder Roast 

M. Miso Chocolate Cookies 

N. Duck Egg Narjissiya 

O. Marinated Apéro Olives

P. Bacon and Pork Patties 

Q. Baked Quail Egg XO Sauce Appetizers 

R. Roasted Stuffed Chicken Parcels - this post!

To check out the Alphabet Challenges for 2024 and 2025, click here.

Pin these Roasted Stuffed Chicken Parcels!

.

Baked Quail Egg XO Sauce Appetizers

These baked quail egg XO sauce appetizers are savory, rich and delicious, super easy to make and they are pretty too! Make two, three or as many as you need! 

When I made homemade XO sauce last year, I was trying to think of creative ways to use it in non-traditional recipes. I just happened to have a couple fresh quail eggs on hand at the time, along with a baguette. This was just one result!

Baked Quail Egg XO Sauce Appetizers

My husband and I each enjoyed one as a small appetizer and, frankly, wished we had more! Next time I make them, I’ll use a muffin pan and make a few. I suggest you do the same. 

Ingredients

For each appetizer:

Butter or olive oil for greasing a ramekin or muffin pan

1 slice baguette

2 tablespoons XO sauce (homemade from this recipe or store bought)

1 raw quail egg

For garnish: chopped chives

Method

Preheat your oven to 400°F or 200°C and grease your ramekins or muffin pan with olive oil or butter.

Cut your baguette in thick slices.

Place one slice of baguette in each ramekin or muffin cup. Top with the XO sauce, spread around to cover the baguette. Make an indentation in the middle to help cradle the yolk.

Carefully cut the top off the quail egg shell.

Tip it out onto the XO sauce.

Bake in your preheated oven for 3-6 minutes, checking at 3 minutes and watching closely until the whites are just set and the yolks reach your desired doneness. 

Sprinkle on the chopped chives for garnish. 

We ate these with small spoons to cut the bread base and scoop. So good! 

Enjoy! 

Welcome to the 17th edition of Alphabet Challenge 2026, brought to you by the letter Q. Many thanks to Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm for organizing and creating the challenge. Check out all the Q recipes below:

• Baked Quail Egg XO Sauce Appetizers from Food Lust People Love
• Cauliflower, Onion, and Pancetta Quiche from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Fresh Corn Quiche from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Fresh Summer Corn & Zucchini Sausage Quiche from Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Jalapeño Popper Quesadillas from Jolene’s Recipe Journal
• Mughlai Paneer Qorma from Mayuri’s Jikoni
• Qabuli Biryani from Sneha’s Recipe
• Quatre Quarts from Culinary Cam
• Queen Elizabeth Cake from A Messy Kitchen
• Western Omelette Quiche from Blogghetti

Here are my posts for the 2026 alphabet challenge, thus far:

A: Ají de Cerdo aka Peruvian Pork Stew

B: Baby Cos Peach Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing 

C. Traditional Cullen Skink 

D. Coconut Cream Date Caramel 

E. Edamame Summer Salad 

F. Lamb Feta Mint Patties 

G. Ricotta Gnocchi à la Poêle 

H. Hazelnut Vodka 

I. Italian Sausage Stuffed Mini Peppers - this post!

J. Jägersuppe - Hunter's Soup 

K. Easy Chicken Kapama 

L. Easy Lamb Shoulder Roast 

M. Miso Chocolate Cookies 

N. Duck Egg Narjissiya 

O. Marinated Apéro Olives

P. Bacon and Pork Patties 

Q. Baked Quail Egg XO Sauce Appetizers - this post!

To check out the Alphabet Challenges for 2024 and 2025, click here.

Pin these Baked Quail Egg XO Sauce Appetizers!

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Nebraska Runzas #BreadBakers

A fluffy bun and a savory filling of ground beef, chopped cabbage and onion are the hallmarks of classic Nebraska runzas, a great midwestern snack. 

Way back in May of 2016, I was researching stuffed bun recipes for a Bread Bakers post in August and came across one for Nebraska runzas. It was originally published in the Washington Post, written by a food writer named Tim Carman who grew up in Nebraska.

While I didn't save the story he shared with the recipe, apparently his mom's homemade runzas were a breakthrough in the food battles the two of them were having. Unfortunately, the link no longer contains the recipe, no less the story, so I'm glad I copied and pasted that! 

I ended up not making the runzas 10 years ago, sharing instead some tasty cheese-stuffed-peppadew stuffed buns of my own devise. This time, I decided the Nebraska runzas had waited long enough! 

Nebraska Runzas

These stuffed buns don’t traditionally have any spice beyond salt and black pepper  in the filling but, as a Cajun person, I felt moved to sprinkle in some cayenne. It added a lovely little kick. Leave it out if you want to go old-school Nebraskan.

Ingredients

For the dough:

3⁄4 teaspoon active dry yeast

1⁄4 cup or 60ml warm water, plus 1/3 cup or 90ml room-temperature water 1/3 cup or 90ml milk

1⁄4 cup or 48g vegetable shortening

3 1⁄4 cups or 406g flour, plus more as needed for kneading

1 tablespoon sugar

1⁄2 teaspoon salt

1 large egg

Canola or other light oil, for greasing the proofing bowl

Milk for brushing on before baking

For the filling:

1.1 lb or 500g lean ground beef

Olive oil

1 small onion, cut into small dice, about 1 cup (about 125g)

2 1⁄2 cups chopped green cabbage (from 1⁄4 large head) (about 170g) 

3⁄4 teaspoon salt

Several generous grinds black pepper

1⁄2 teaspoon cayenne, optional

Method

Combine the yeast and the 1/4 cup or 60ml of warm water in small bowl or measuring vessel, adding a pinch of the sugar and stirring until the yeast has dissolved.

Combine the 1/3 cup or 90ml of the room-temperature water, the milk and shortening in a small saucepan; heat over low heat until the shortening has liquefied but the temperature of the mixture is no greater than 130°F or 54°C.

Add in the rest of the sugar and the salt and stir till dissolved.

(If during that time the yeast mixture hasn’t bubbled at all, your yeast might be dead. So dump it out and start over.)

Combine 1 cup or 125g of the flour, in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the yeasty liquid, the warm milk mixture and the egg to the mixer bowl.

Beat on medium-low speed until well incorporated. Stop to scrape down the bowl and beaters; then, on medium-low speed, gradually add the rest of the flour, beating to form a wet dough.

Change over to the dough-hook attachment and knead in your stand mixer or on a floured surface, adding a little extra flour, if needed, until you form a dough that’s smooth and elastic and a still a bit tacky.

Lightly grease a proofing bowl with oil, then place the dough in it. Cover with a damp towel or cling film and leave to rise in a draft-free spot for 1 to 2 hours or until the dough has about doubled in size. 

Meanwhile, make the filling. Fry the ground beef with a drizzle of olive oil in a large saute pan or skillet over medium heat. Cook until you get a few well browned crunchy bits, breaking up the meat to a crumbly consistency as it cooks.

Stir in the onion and cook for 6 to 8 minutes or until translucent.

Add in the cabbage. 

Cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring to incorporate, until the cabbage has softened. Season with the salt, black pepper and cayenne, if using. Stir well and remove from the heat. Set aside to cool.

Uncover and punch down the dough. Divide the dough into 12 equal portions (it’s good to use a kitchen scale for this) and roll them into balls. Divide your filling into 12 equal portions. (A scale is handy here as well!) These are my first six.

Working with one at a time on the floured work surface, roll out each portion of dough to your best approximation of a 5-inch or 12.5cm square, – NOT ROUND. A round runza is how they are made in Kansas, not Nebraska! 

Spoon one portion of the filling into the center of each piece. Dampen the edges with water.

Fold the sides in. 

Then fold the top and bottom together and pinch to seal the seams, making your requisite rectangle.

Preheat the oven to 375°F or 190°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone liner. 

Place seam-side down on the lined baking sheet. I had to do mine in two batches since I was baking in a small oven. Our new kitchen is meant to be ready by this weekend though. 🤞

Let the runzas rise for 20 minutes then brush them with a little milk.

Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Enjoy! 

It's the second Tuesday of the month so, as mentioned above, it's time for my Bread Bakers to share their recipes. As you might have surmised, the theme is stuffed buns! Many thanks to our host, Radha of Magical Ingredients. Check out the links below.

• Custard Buns from A Messy Kitchen
• Ham and Cheese Stuffed Buns from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Hot Dog Flower Buns from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Nebraska Runzas from Food Lust People Love
• Salted Caramel Apple Wreath from Magical Ingredients
• Small Batch Nebraska Runzas from Sneha’s Recipe

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. Follow our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated each month on this home page. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.

Pin these Nebraska Runzas!

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