Thanks to the big bonito we bought, click here to see how it was filleted, we are exploring recipes in our lovely Spanish cookbook, 1080 Recipes.

The first in the Bonito section – just to clarify, bonito is a similar fish to tuna and can be used in the same way – is ‘Bonito with onion and tomato’. Like all the recipes in this lovely book, the titles are factual rather than imaginative and don’t really do the finished dish justice. This really is comfort food.

Serves 6
6 tbsp olive oil
2 large onions, chopped
1 tsp plain flour
750g ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded & chopped
175ml white wine
Pinch of dried mixed herbs or 2 bay leaves or 1 sprig fresh thyme
1.2kg thick bonito fillets
Salt Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add the onion and cook over a low heat for about five minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent.

Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for two minutes. Add the tomato and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up the tomato flesh with the side of the spoon, for five minutes. Pour in the wine, add the herbs, season with salt, and cook for 15 minutes.

Add the bonito, cover and cook over a low heat for another 10 minutes. Serve immediately.

5 to remember
el bonito – the bonito/tuna
un filete – a fillet
explorando/a – exploring
para aclarar – to clarify
el título – the title

‘1080 Recipes’ by Simone and Inés Ortega