Yellowfin Tuna

Yellowfin Tuna

yellowtuna

 

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.