Article: Chef Eric Morrissette of Maui Brewing Co. makes Ahi Tuna Confit Tostadas with Kuleana Oil
Chef Eric Morrissette of Maui Brewing Co. makes Ahi Tuna Confit Tostadas with Kuleana Oil
When Chef Eric Morrissette of Maui Brewing Co. Kīhei created a dish for this year's Maui Brewers Festival, he built it around a bottle of Kuleana Hawaiʻi Grown Sunflower Oil — and the result was one of the most talked-about bites of the day.
His Tuna Confit Tostadas are a playful, elevated spin on the classic tuna melt: fresh ahi slow-poached in Kuleana Sunflower Oil, folded into a bold, creamy salad mix with gochujang mayo, pepper jack, pickles, and jalapeño, all piled onto a crispy tostada shell and finished with fresh microgreens. It's comfort food with technique behind it — and now you can make it at home.
Watch Chef Eric make the full dish in the Maui Brewing Co. Kīhei kitchen:
📺 Tuna Confit Tostadas with Kuleana Sunflower Oil — YouTube
What Is Confit — and Can a Home Chef Do It?
Confit (pronounced con-FEE) is a French technique where food is slowly cooked submerged in fat at a low, gentle temperature. It's not frying — there's no sizzle, no browning. Instead, the fish poaches gently in oil, staying silky and tender while absorbing the subtle nuttiness of whatever oil you use.
For fresh ahi tuna, it's a revelation. And for a home chef, it's more approachable than it sounds — all you need is a wide shallow pot, a kitchen thermometer, and patience. Chef Eric also includes a sous vide method below if you have a circulator.
The key is the oil. Kuleana Hawaiʻi Grown Sunflower Oil is clean, stable, and expeller-pressed — exactly what a proper confit demands.
The Full Recipe
Developed by Chef Eric Morrissette, Executive Chef — Maui Brewing Co. Kīhei
Created for the 2026 Maui Brewers Festival
This dish has three components. Read through all three before you start — each one is simple, and they come together quickly.
Part 1: Tuna Confit
Yield: 2.5 lbs
Ingredients
- 2½ lbs fresh ahi tuna, cut into similar-sized chunks
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- Peel of 1 lemon, removed with a vegetable peeler
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 quart Kuleana Hawaiʻi Grown Sunflower Oil (a 75/25 blend of sunflower to neutral oil works well for larger batches)
Instructions
- Add the oil, salt, lemon peel, and bay leaf to a wide, shallow pot over medium-low heat.
- Bring the oil to 180°F — use a kitchen thermometer to monitor. Low and slow is the goal.
- Gently lower the tuna chunks into the warm oil and let poach for 8–10 minutes.
- Remove from heat and allow the tuna to cool in the oil — this keeps it moist as it finishes cooking.
- Remove tuna from oil. The oil can be reserved for one additional batch.
- Flake the tuna with your hands or a fork into bite-sized pieces. Do not fully shred — you want texture.
Chef Eric's Sous Vide Method
"I prefer to sous vide my tuna for more precise and controlled cooking. Add all ingredients to a vacuum bag and seal at 100% — you'll only need 2–3 oz of oil in the pouch. Set your circulator to 140°F and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour."
Part 2: Gochujang Mayo
The secret weapon. Spicy, tangy, rich — and the flavor backbone of the whole dish.
Ingredients
- 2 cups mayonnaise
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- ¾ cup gochujang paste
- Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients and mix until smooth.
- Taste and adjust seasoning. It should be bold — spicy, tangy, and creamy.
- Refrigerate until ready to use. Keeps well for up to one week.
Part 3: Ahi Salad Mix
Yield: enough to top approximately 40 small tostada shells
Ingredients
- 2½ lbs ahi confit, flaked (from Part 1)
- 1½ cups red onion, ¼" dice
- ½ cup scallion greens, thinly sliced
- ½ cup pickles, finely chopped
- ½ cup jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 lb pepper jack cheese, ¼" dice
- 1 cup gochujang mayo (from Part 2)
- Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients except the ahi in a large bowl and mix well until evenly incorporated.
- Add the flaked ahi confit and gently fold to combine — keep the tuna in tender pieces.
- Adjust seasoning with kosher salt until fully seasoned.
Build Your Tostadas
To plate the dish the way Chef Eric served it at Maui Brewers Festival:
- Lay crispy tostada shells on a platter or individual plates
- Top generously with the ahi salad mix
- Finish with a handful of fresh microgreens
- Optional: an extra drizzle of gochujang mayo and a squeeze of fresh lemon
Serve immediately while the shells are still crispy. 🌻
Why Kuleana Sunflower Oil for Confit?
Confit demands an oil that is clean, stable, and flavor-forward without being overpowering. Kuleana Hawaiʻi Grown Sunflower Oil checks every box — a beautiful flavor, a gentle nuttiness, and the kind of purity that comes from being grown and expeller-pressed in Hawaiʻi. No chemicals. No shortcuts.
