Use tuna confit for tuna salad or mini gourmet tuna sandwich appetizers, and enjoy the intense flavors of the tuna, olive oil, and various aromatics. Tuna confit is richer, flakier, and moister than canned tuna and is a great way to cook a fresh piece of tuna.

Tuna Confit Recipe: How to Confit Tuna

Tuna confit is tuna cooked in a large amount of olive oil and aromatics like garlic, fresh herbs, and citrus. The [confit](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/cooking-101-what-exactly-is-confit-learn-how-to-confit) method is similar to a poach because they are both gentle cooking methods for meat and seafood. The result is flaky tuna with flavors from the additions to the olive oil. 

High-quality, extra-virgin [olive oil](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/complete-olive-oil-guide) is essential since a tuna confit recipe calls for so much of it. Yellowfin and ahi [tuna](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-cook-tuna-6-ways-to-cook-fresh-tuna-plus-10-tuna-fish-recipe-ideas) are the most common options for tuna confit. [__Jump to recipe__](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/tuna-confit-recipe#3y8vo5X7xo5sqxXNxsR1AJ).
Technically, “confit” refers to food preserved by cooking in its own fat. [Duck confit](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/duck-confit-recipe) is the most famous type of confit, and it consists of duck legs that cook gently in a vat of melted duck fat. However, the more <a href='https://masterclass.com/articles/writing-101-what-is-a-colloquialism-learn-about-how-colloquialisms-are-used-in-literature-with-examples' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://masterclass.com/articles/writing-101-what-is-a-colloquialism-learn-about-how-colloquialisms-are-used-in-literature-with-examples","linkCopy":"colloquial","category":"automated-link"}' automatic='true'>colloquial</a> definition of confit is any food that cooks large amounts of fat, usually olive oil. 

Alternative confits include Yotam Ottolenghi’s [confit garlic](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/ottolenghis-confit-garlic-oil), Chef Thomas Keller’s [confit eggplant](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/chef-thomas-kellers-confit-eggplant-and-garlic-recipe), and Dominique Crenn’s [confit tomatoes](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/confit-tomatoes-recipe-by-dominique-crenn).
Before refrigeration, humans needed a way to preserve food. Hunters and cooks dating back to the fifteenth century made an early confit by heavily salting the legs and wings of birds before submerging them in fat and storing them in a cool, dark place to ripen for months. What started as a form of food security became a highly regarded culinary technique used by French chefs, who then exported confit around the world.
Use the tips below for making fatty and flavorful tuna confit.

1. __Cook the aromatics in the oil first__. To get the most flavor out of aromatics like garlic cloves, shallots, fennel, or fresh thyme, cook them in olive oil for a few minutes before adding the tuna. The aromatics infuse the oil with their flavors, making them easier for the tuna to absorb.
2. __Keep the temperature low__. The confit cooking and preservation method is a low and slow process. Keep the olive oil at a very low simmer to prevent the aromatics from burning and the tuna from cooking too quickly and potentially drying out. 
3. __Make sure the oil covers the tuna entirely__. The whole point of confit is to submerge the food in the fat, so add enough olive oil to cover the tuna. To achieve this, ensure the pot is big enough to accommodate that much oil, plus the oil displacement from adding the tuna. If needed, add more oil throughout the cooking process to keep the tuna covered. 
Use tuna confit for tuna salad or mini gourmet tuna sandwich appetizers, and enjoy the intense flavors of the tuna, olive oil, and various aromatics. Tuna confit is richer, flakier, and moister than canned tuna and is a great way to cook a fresh piece of tuna.

Tuna confit is tuna cooked in a large amount of olive oil and aromatics like garlic, fresh herbs, and citrus. The <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/cooking-101-what-exactly-is-confit-learn-how-to-confit' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/cooking-101-what-exactly-is-confit-learn-how-to-confit","linkCopy":"confit","category":null}'>confit</a> method is similar to a poach because they are both gentle cooking methods for meat and seafood. The result is flaky tuna with flavors from the additions to the olive oil. High-quality, extra-virgin <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/complete-olive-oil-guide' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/complete-olive-oil-guide","linkCopy":"olive oil","category":null}'>olive oil</a> is essential since a tuna confit recipe calls for so much of it. Yellowfin and ahi <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-cook-tuna-6-ways-to-cook-fresh-tuna-plus-10-tuna-fish-recipe-ideas' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-cook-tuna-6-ways-to-cook-fresh-tuna-plus-10-tuna-fish-recipe-ideas","linkCopy":"tuna","category":null}'>tuna</a> are the most common options for tuna confit. <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/tuna-confit-recipe#3y8vo5X7xo5sqxXNxsR1AJ' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/tuna-confit-recipe#3y8vo5X7xo5sqxXNxsR1AJ","linkCopy":"\u003cstrong class=\"mc-text--bold\"\u003eJump to recipe\u003c/strong\u003e","category":null}'>Jump to recipe</a>.

What Is Tuna Confit?

Technically, “confit” refers to food preserved by cooking in its own fat. <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/duck-confit-recipe' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/duck-confit-recipe","linkCopy":"Duck confit","category":null}'>Duck confit</a> is the most famous type of confit, and it consists of duck legs that cook gently in a vat of melted duck fat. However, the more <a href='https://masterclass.com/articles/writing-101-what-is-a-colloquialism-learn-about-how-colloquialisms-are-used-in-literature-with-examples' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://masterclass.com/articles/writing-101-what-is-a-colloquialism-learn-about-how-colloquialisms-are-used-in-literature-with-examples","linkCopy":"colloquial","category":"automated-link"}' automatic='true'>colloquial</a> definition of confit is any food that cooks large amounts of fat, usually olive oil. Alternative confits include Yotam Ottolenghi’s <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/ottolenghis-confit-garlic-oil' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/ottolenghis-confit-garlic-oil","linkCopy":"confit garlic","category":null}'>confit garlic</a>, Chef Thomas Keller’s <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/chef-thomas-kellers-confit-eggplant-and-garlic-recipe' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/chef-thomas-kellers-confit-eggplant-and-garlic-recipe","linkCopy":"confit eggplant","category":null}'>confit eggplant</a>, and Dominique Crenn’s <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/confit-tomatoes-recipe-by-dominique-crenn' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/confit-tomatoes-recipe-by-dominique-crenn","linkCopy":"confit tomatoes","category":null}'>confit tomatoes</a>.

What Does Confit Mean?

Before refrigeration, humans needed a way to preserve food. Hunters and cooks dating back to the fifteenth century made an early confit by heavily salting the legs and wings of birds before submerging them in fat and storing them in a cool, dark place to ripen for months. What started as a form of food security became a highly regarded culinary technique used by French chefs, who then exported confit around the world.

A Brief History of Confit

Use the tips below for making fatty and flavorful tuna confit.<ol class="mc-m-4"><li class="mc-my-4"> 1. Cook the aromatics in the oil first. To get the most flavor out of aromatics like garlic cloves, shallots, fennel, or fresh thyme, cook them in olive oil for a few minutes before adding the tuna. The aromatics infuse the oil with their flavors, making them easier for the tuna to absorb. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 2. Keep the temperature low. The confit cooking and preservation method is a low and slow process. Keep the olive oil at a very low simmer to prevent the aromatics from burning and the tuna from cooking too quickly and potentially drying out. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 3. Make sure the oil covers the tuna entirely. The whole point of confit is to submerge the food in the fat, so add enough olive oil to cover the tuna. To achieve this, ensure the pot is big enough to accommodate that much oil, plus the oil displacement from adding the tuna. If needed, add more oil throughout the cooking process to keep the tuna covered. </li></ol>

3 Tips for Making Tuna Confit

Classic Tuna Confit Recipe

Use tuna confit for tuna salad or mini gourmet tuna sandwich appetizers, and enjoy the intense flavors of the tuna, olive oil, and various aromatics. Tuna confit is richer, flakier, and moister than canned tuna and is a great way to cook a fresh piece of tuna.

Use tuna confit for tuna salad or mini gourmet tuna sandwich appetizers, and enjoy the intense flavors of the tuna, olive oil, and various aromatics. Tuna confit is richer, flakier, and moister than canned tuna and is a great way to cook a fresh piece of tuna.
