Fresh Tuna(Aku) Portuguese Style

Fresh tuna (aku) Portuguese style is a Hawaiian-Portuguese fusion dish that traces back to the immigrant cooks of plantation-era Hawaii. Slices of ahi tuna (or skipjack, called aku locally) get a sharp vinegar-and-garlic marinade, then a dusting of flour and a sizzling pan-fry until the edges crisp golden.

The move that makes this dish memorable is what happens to the leftover marinade. After the fish comes out, you pour off the oil, add the spent marinade to the hot pan, and bring it to a boil to cook off the raw garlic bite and concentrate the vinegar punch. Stale sourdough bread gets dipped in like fondue, soaking up that pan-deglazed liquor.

Fresh bread won’t work here. It turns to mush. Day-old or two-day-old sourdough holds up to the dunk.

Pro Tips

• Pat the fish completely dry after marinating. Wet fish steams instead of browning, and the flour coating slides right off into the oil.
• Use a heavy pan and get the oil shimmering before the fish goes in. Lukewarm oil makes a soggy crust.
• Marinate for the full hour, no longer. Vinegar starts cooking the proteins past 60 minutes and the texture goes mealy.
• Bring the marinade to a hard boil for at least a full minute before dipping bread. Raw marinade that’s touched fish is not safe to eat directly.

Variations

• Skip the MSG and add a teaspoon of soy sauce or a pinch of umami seasoning for the savory backbone.
• Use swordfish or mahi mahi when fresh tuna isn’t available.
• Add a sliced fresh chili pepper to the marinade for a Portuguese-style heat lift.