TONNO ALLA GENOVESE (ITALIAN)

We and the cats all had a great time chowing down on most excellent tuna steaks tonight. The weather here is so bizarrely pleasant, topping out well up in the 70s, that I almost grilled outside, but thought better of it when I remembered that I'd be checking the fish for doneness in the dark. :)

Instead, I did a mild riff on a Genoese preparation in Ed Giobbi's "Eat Right, Eat Well, the Italian Way."

Cut a fat (1 pound) chunk of fresh tuna into two thick steaks, put them on a plate, and cover them all over with lemon and lime juice; leave to marinate in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

While it's marinating, soak about 1/2 ounce of dried porcini mushrooms in warm water; rinse and chop them, strain the soaking liquid and set it aside.

Pat the tuna dry and sear it quickly on both sides in an iron skillet painted with a thin coating of olive oil; when they're starting to get crunchy, take them out, and sautee in the oil 2 garlic cloves, minced fine, and two chopped anchovies. Stir in 1/3 cup white wine, lower heat, and put the tuna steaks back in, turning them once or twice. Add the reconstituted mushrooms and 3 tablespoons of the mushroom liquid. Cover tightly and cook over very low heat, tightly covered, for 5 or 6 minutes more. Be careful not to overcook; you'll want the tuna to remain somewhere between rosy and rare in the center, depending on your taste, but don't overcook it under any circumstances.

Remove the tuna to a warm serving plate, raise heat, and reduce the liquid in the skillet until it's almost syrupy. Pour this liquid and the 'shrooms over the fish. This makes a tart and piquant sauce, and the earthy qualities that the mushrooms and garlic add to the tuna's rich, meaty flavor make this one a natural for Pinot Noir -- a rare exception to the rule against red wine and fish!