Recipes Heirloom Tomato Salad with Tuna Confit Be the first to rate & review! This is chef George Mendes’s version of the simple tomato salads common in the Algarve region of southern Portugal. For a shortcut, use best-quality, olive oil–packed canned tuna. Slideshow: Tomato Recipes By George Mendes George Mendes Video Best New Chef George Mendes. Video George Mendes describes what it means to be named a Best New Chef. Born 1972; Danbury, CT. Education The Culinary Institute of America; Hyde Park, NY. Experience Stonehenge Inn, Ridgefield, CT; Tropica, Bouley and Le Zoo, New York City; Lespinasse, Washington, DC; Wallse and Toqueville, New York City. Stages: L'Arpège, Paris; Roger Vergé's Moulin de Mougins, Mougins, France; El Bulli, Roses, Spain; Restaurante Martín Berasategui, Lasarte-Oria, Spain. How he got into food "My mom and dad were farmers in Portugal; they immigrated to the US in 1969. I had a childhood full of home-cooked meals: There was always salt cod soaking in the garage; I still remember that smell. On weekdays we'd have rice dishes. On Sundays we'd have more elaborate meals—roast turkey or pork. The holidays were the biggie; they were crazy, off the hook with food." Pet peeve Cooks who work over garbage cans. "It's so sloppy. And people who feel like they are too good to pick up a broom, they're nothing to me. A kitchen is like an operating room, it should be spotless. On top of that, Aldea is an open kitchen." What keeps him going Water and Gatorade. "I drink a lot of water; Gatorade is a big thirst quencher for me." Favorite piece of cooking equipment His Bonnet stove. "I bought it before I opened Aldea; it sat in storage. When I was still looking for restaurant spaces, I'd sit there and look at a picture of that stove." Memorable Meal A tie between a 1998 meal on the terrace at Le Louis XV, Alain Ducasse's restaurant in Monaco, and a 1994 dinner at the original Daniel on 76th Street in New York City. Fantasy splurge "I'd go to Tokyo in 2021. I think it would be impeccable sushi and really cutting-edge Japanese cuisine, taken to a new level." Favorite wine 1986 Louis Jadot Corton-Charlemagne white Burgundy. Dream restaurant "I'd push a sardine-filled wheelbarrow outfitted with a charcoal grill around Union Square. I'd wear an old man's beret. And I'd do it every day, not just when the farmers' market was on." Food trend he dislikes Burgers. "I love them, but enough already." Favorite cookbook La Riviera d'Alain Ducasse. "It sits on my shelf forever, it's the soul of the Mediterranean and it reminds me of my upbringing. Ducasse took the rusticity and authenticity and somehow refined it." Twitter dream "I wish Ferran Adrià were on Twitter." Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on October 1, 2014 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: © Christina Holmes Active Time: 20 mins Total Time: 1 hrs 20 mins Yield: 6 Ingredients 4 1/2 cups extra-virgin olive oil 3 thyme sprigs 1 bay leaf 1 small fennel bulb, thinly sliced 1/2 small carrot, thinly sliced 1 1/2 teaspoons coriander seeds 1 1/2 teaspoons black peppercorns 1 teaspoon white peppercorns 2 small yellow onions, thinly sliced 1 pound tuna steak 2 beefsteak tomatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick 2 ripe green heirloom tomatoes, such as Green Zebra, sliced 1/4 inch thick 1/4 cup sherry vinegar 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh oregano, large leaves torn 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon thyme 6 large basil leaves, torn 6 large mint leaves, torn Kosher salt Pepper Directions In a medium saucepan, combine the olive oil, thyme, bay leaf, fennel, carrot, coriander seeds, black and white peppercorns and half of the sliced onion. Add the tuna, submerging it in the oil. Attach a candy or deep-fry thermometer to the pan and warm the oil over moderate heat to 160°. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the tuna cool at room temperature until slightly warm, about 30 minutes. Remove the tuna from the oil, break it into 1-inch pieces and transfer to a large bowl. Strain the poaching oil; reserve 1/4 cup of the oil and discard the solids and remaining oil. Add the tomato slices and remaining onion to the bowl with the tuna. In a small bowl, whisk 1/2 cup of the reserved poaching oil with the sherry vinegar, oregano, lemon thyme, basil and mint. Pour the mixture over the tuna and tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper and toss gently. Arrange the salad on a serving platter and top with any dressing left in the bowl. Drizzle the salad with the remaining 1/4 cup of reserved poaching oil and serve. Make Ahead The tuna confit can be refrigerated for 1 day before serving. Suggested Pairing Lively, berry-scented Portuguese rosé. Rate it Print