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Marinated Tuna Steak

A grilled tuna steak marinated in olive oil, lime juice, tarragon, oregano, and balsamic vinegar, served with yogurt sauce.

From the Recipes Wiki (Fandom) · 7 ingredients
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Why it works: Lime and oregano match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 2% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 291 recipes. Both carry beta-phellandrene, which smells minty, terpene. The science ↓

Marinated Tuna Steak

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare

  1. Prepare the marinade by mixing olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lime juice, oregano, and minced tarragon.

  2. Marinate the tuna steaks for one hour in the refrigerator.

  3. Preheat the grill.

Grill and serve

  1. Grill the tuna steaks on high for 2 to 3 minutes on each side.

  2. Lower the heat and cook until the tuna reaches the desired doneness.

  3. Serve immediately with the yogurt sauce and some salad or steamed vegetables.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

372Calories
46 gProtein
16 gFat
11 gCarbs
What these numbers assume: 7 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Tuna100g cooked132
Olive Oil1 tbsp (14g)119
Yogurt170g plain Greek100
Limejuice of 1 lime (44ml)11
Oregano1 tsp dried (1.8g)5
Vinegar1 tbsp (15ml) distilled3
Tarragon1 tsp dried (0.5g)2

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Lime + oreganotop 2% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together291 recipes

    Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).

  2. Lime + tarragontop 3% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together54 recipes

    Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).

  3. Olive + oreganotop 5% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together3,443 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-hexenal (green, leafy).

  4. Tarragon + oreganotop 6% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together45 recipes

    Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).

  5. Tarragon + vinegartop 7% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together2,547 recipes

    Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Tuna
Forms the main body of the dish and firms up when seared on the grill.
Extra virgin olive oil
Carries the herbs and flavours through the marinade and keeps the fish moist.
Balsamic vinegar
Adds acidity that brightens the marinade and gently tenderises the surface of the fish.
Lime juice
Provides acidity that lifts the flavour of the tuna and balances the oil.
Lowfat plain yogurt
Adds cool creaminess that contrasts with the seared fish in the sauce.

The step that matters

Lower the heat and cook until the tuna reaches the desired doneness.. Tuna cooks quickly and dries out once overcooked. After searing on high heat, a lower heat lets the centre cook gently, so checking doneness carefully keeps the fish moist.

Swap the oregano

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (lime, olive, tarragon, vinegar, yogurt):

  1. Corianderfits better
  2. Dillfits better
  3. Cuminfits better
  4. Oreganothe original

Fit is the average pairing score against lime, olive, tarragon, vinegar, yogurt. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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