Choose the Best

• Canned tuna is fine to use in antipasto, especially if the thought of using whole, raw fish makes you nervous. Use the best-grade tuna you can find -- it's worth going to a specialty or gourmet store that stocks Italian and Spanish products. Look for imported tuna that is labeled "large chunk," or something similar. Choose tuna packed in olive oil over water-packed types. If you can't find imported tuna, look for cans of name-brand, oil-packed, large-chunk tuna in the supermarket.

Prep Canned Tuna

• After you drain the tuna, break the fish into bite-sized pieces, if necessary. Make a dressing for the tuna by mixing lemon juice and olive oil in equal portions, or blend 3 parts red wine vinegar with 2 parts olive oil. Toss additional marinated ingredients, such as pickled red cabbage, capers or black olives, into the antipasto mixture, along with fresh herbs and seasonings.

Steak a Claim

• Antipasto tuna doesn't have to come out of the can if your fishmonger can guarantee the freshest possible tuna steaks. Ask for sashimi-grade tuna, which is caught and processed in a way that keeps it fresh as long as possible. Center-cut yellow or blue fin tuna is ideal. If you are going to serve the tuna raw, without searing it first, ask the fishmonger to cut it into thin pieces.

Setting up the Seafood

• Whether you serve fresh tuna rare or cooked and chilled, marinating the fish is the first step. Combine 3 parts vinegar and 2 parts oil, along with the seasoning of your choice, and marinate the tuna steaks or sliced tuna for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator. If you are cooking the tuna steaks, sear them on the grill, one minute per side for rare or two minutes per side for medium-rare. Slice the steaks as thinly as possible once they have cooled.

Assembling the Antipasto

• Tuna antipasto can be a simple salad or part of a larger antipasto spread. To make a salad, set washed, dried salad greens on individual plates. At this point, you can add additional ingredients to the dressed tuna, such as red peppers, chickpeas, celery and parsley. Place scoops of the tuna antipasto on top of the salad greens. Or put the tuna antipasto on platters that also hold such ingredients as assorted cheeses, cured meats, crispy breads and marinated vegetables.