Yellowfin Tuna
Yellowfin Tuna
Tunas have firm, thick fillets and make succulent meat substitutes. Cutlets and steaks can be cooked by grilling, barbecuing, baking, smoking, poaching or marinating. Japanese demand for sushi and sashimi has highlighted some species superb eating qualities raw.
Grilled or barbecued, tunas are best seared and left rare centrally. Highlight with intense flavours such as charred capsicum, eggplant, balsamic vinegar and olive oil dressings on a bed of bitter greens and aioli, roasted garlic, and Japanese wasabi, soy and pickled ginger. Alternatively, prepare a baked dinner of tuna, with a herbed crust to seal in the flavour and prevent it drying out.
To marinate, use lemon, garlic oil, vinegar and fresh herbs. Serve as is (the marinade will cook the tuna), or slowly braise or poach as a finishing touch, but be careful not to overcook.
Sashimi, carpaccio, or tartare blended with Atlantic salmon is ideal for tuna, married with dill, garlic, lemon and pepper. Tuna is also an excellent dish sliced thinly and briefly dropped into simmering fish stock or cooked as an Asian hot-pot to each diner s preference.
Invite guests to choose the degree to which they want their tuna cooked just as they would with a steak. Serve well done tuna with a sauce.
Flavour Mild to Medium
Oiliness Low to Medium, sometimes High
Moisture Dry to Medium
Texture Soft to firm, with beautiful coarse grain
Flesh Colour Pink, off-white yellowish, reddish or reddish brown, with bands of very dark flesh along the sides. Colour varies with species, condition and cut; lateral cuts are darker. Generally creamy white when cooked
Thickness Thick fillets or cutlets
Bones Few bones
Price Albacore: Medium-priced finfish, Bigeye, southern bluefin and yellowfin tunas: High-priced finfish southern bluefin tuna highest price, followed by bigeye tuna. Longtail tuna: Low-priced finfish
Suggested Wines
Tuna flavours are definite, and well accompanied by medium to full-flavoured white styles and some reds.
A herbaceous semillon or vegetative sauvignon blanc will be pleasant with sashimi or grilled tuna.
Nutrition Facts
per 100g of raw product
Kilojoules | 521 (124 Calories) |
Cholesterol | 30 mg |
Sodium | 37 g |
Total fat (oil) | 0.5 g |
Saturated fat | 33% of total fat |
Monounsaturated fat | 13% of total fat |
Polyunsaturated fat | 54% of total fat |
Omega-3, EPA | 14 mg |
Omega-3, DHA | 100 mg |
Omega-6, AA | 15 mg |
Data presented are for yellowfin tuna.
Cooking Ideas
Bake | ||
Grill/barbecue | Poach | Raw |
Shallow Fry | Smoke |
When Caught
Caught year round, but supply varies depending on species and area. For example, southern bluefin tuna are caught off South Australia from December to March, off Tasmania from April to June, and off New South Wales from May to September.
Important Features
Wild/Farmed Wild
Habitat Saltwater
Recovery Rate Fillets: 70 – 75% from whole tuna (gilled and gutted)
Yellowfin Tuna Research
FRDC provides a comprehensive search of the latest research papers and images on Yellowfin Tuna
Remarks
Tuna for sashimi must be stunned, bled, and processed immediately on capture. Flesh characteristics differ markedly between species. Albacore is referred to as the chicken of the sea due to its white flesh when cooked.
Imports Pacific nations such as the Solomon Islands: tuna for canning Sashimi-quality tuna is imported from various South Pacific islands, including New Zealand.
Common Size 50 – 190 cm
Overseas Names GB, NZ, USA, ZA: yellowfin tuna, ahi (Hawaii); D: Gelbflossenthun; DK: gulfinnet tunfisk; GB: Allison s tuna, autumn albacore, yellowfin tunny; J: kihada; ZA: geelvin-tuna
Alternatives marlin swordfish mackerel Atlantic salmon
Grading Grading can vary by supplier, region and species. An example of a grading system for whole tuna is presented below.