How To Improve A Can Of Tuna? Set It On Fire.

I’ve been writing, reading, and cooking from recipes for fifty years. I’ve seen a lot, and it’s not often that I come across a cooking technique that I’ve never even heard of before. Well, thank God you’re never too old to learn something new, because the article/recipe below is kind of mind-blowing.

It was originally written for us on Heated by Shaul Armony, who served in the Israel Defense Forces and is now a student at Columbia University (he also cooked at Zahav, an excellent restaurant in Philadelphia, so he knows a little something about cooking and eating good food). He writes about being deployed in the field for weeks at a time with a box of combat rations that included, among other things, six cans of oil-packed tuna. When eating canned tuna gets old (which, apparently and unsurprisingly, it does), you have to do something to liven it up. What is that something? Setting it on fire.

I didn’t really believe it at first, but then I looked at the photos that Shaul sent along with his piece. The tuna is gorgeous; deeply browned, charred in spots, and bathing in smoky oil. And it doesn’t seem hard to accomplish. All you need is oil-packed tuna (nothing fancy, but tuna in water won’t work here), a few squares of toilet paper (your wick), a fork, a lighter, and a safe place to set a small fire. The technique is in the article below. My guess is that you’ve never seen anything like this before, so it’s really worth a look.

—Mark

Throughout my service in the Israel Defense Forces, I learned all sorts of skills that have been applicable to my everyday civilian life. I learned how to work efficiently under high stress, making studying for my general chemistry final feel manageable. I learned to appreciate and respect the opinions of others with whom I disagree, which helped me succeed in group projects at Columbia University. I learned the importance of organization, punctuality, and preparation, which proved invaluable as I worked in the demanding kitchen at Zahav in Philadelphia.