Florida Yellowfin Tuna

by Chef Justin Timineri
Florida's Culinary Ambassador

Delicious and nutritious, yellowfin tuna is one of the world’s most important fish. It lives in open ocean waters off both of Florida’s coasts and is a staple in seafood markets and restaurants around the state. Though yellowfin tuna is available year round, June, July, and August are the months of peak supply.

Yellowfin tuna is a beautiful fish, with a dark metallic blue body, a silver belly, and bright yellow fins. Its torpedo-shaped body is built for speed. It has to swim fast to catch its prey—smaller fish, squid, and shrimp—and to avoid becoming prey to certain species of whales and sharks. It’s one of the largest species of tuna, wish some weighing up to 400 lbs, but commercial catches tend to be much smaller, usually between 20 and 100 lbs.

Yellowfin tuna is a schooling fish and often travels in the company of other tuna species of similar size. Schools of yellowfin tuna are known to gather around masses of floating debris or near groups of dolphins. Because of the tuna’s association with dolphins, special care must be exercised in its harvest. In Florida, yellowfin tuna are caught with hook and line, one at a time, never with nets, so they are guaranteed “dolphin safe.”

Fresh yellowfin tuna is highly prized, and Florida’s commercial fishermen are paid more for tuna than grouper or even red snapper. The current retail price for sushi-grade tuna is about $20 per pound, while non-sushi grade sells for about $12 per pound.

Fresh yellowfin tuna doesn’t look or taste like the tuna you buy in a can. It’s deep red in color with a sweet, mild flavor and a dense, firm, beef-like texture. Fresh yellowfin tuna is typically sold in loin form.

When shopping for fresh tuna, look for firm meat with a fresh sea-breeze aroma and no discoloration. Store fresh tuna in the coldest part of the refrigerator at 32 degrees Fahrenheit for up to two day, or at 0 degrees Fahrenheit in the freezer for up to two months. Wrap fish tightly to prevent freezer burn. Thaw in the refrigerator or under cold running water.

Tuna is traditionally cooked to rare or medium-rare in the center. For a rare center, cook two minutes on each side; for a medium center, cook three to five minutes; and for a well-done center, cook five to eight minutes. As tuna cooks, it turns from pink or red to tan or ivory white.

Yellowfin tuna tastes great raw, grilled, baked, broiled, blackened, pan seared, or smoked. It’s is widely used in sashimi, Japanese dishes featuring fresh raw fish sliced thin and served with a dipping sauce.

Yellowfin tuna is a lean fish that’s highly nutritious. A four-ounce serving of raw yellowfin tuna has 130 calories, two grams of fat, 26 grams of protein, and three grams of omega-3 fatty acids.

Yellowfin Tuna Nicoise Grilled Florida Yellowfin Tuna With Rosemary

4 4-ounce fresh tuna steaks, cut 1 inch thick
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons lemon juice
¹⁄₈ teaspoon kosher salt
¹⁄₈ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary leaves, chopped
Fresh rosemary sprigs (optional)

Rinse fish and pat dry with paper towels. Brush both sides of steaks with oil and lemon juice. Sprinkle kosher salt, pepper, garlic and rosemary evenly onto fish then rub in with fingers. Preheat grill then reduce heat to medium. Place fish on grill rack over heat. Cover and grill for 8 to 12 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork, turning once halfway through grilling. Garnish with fresh rosemary. To broil, place fish on the greased unheated rack of a broiler pan. Broil 4 inches from the heat for 8 to 12 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork, turning once halfway through broiling.

Yellowfin Tuna Nicoise

4 4-ounce tuna steaks
Kosher salt to taste
Cracked black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 ounces French green beans, ends trimmed and cooked
1 cup cherry Florida tomatoes, cut in half
1 cup Kalamata or nicoise olives, pitted
Your favorite vinaigrette dressing
2 heads romaine lettuce, cut in half lengthwise
4 eggs, hard-boiled and sliced
Herbed goat cheese (optional)
Fingerling potatoes, boiled and cut into quarters (optional)
Florida green beans, cooked (optional)

Season the tuna on both sides with salt, pepper. Heat olive oil in a sauté pan over high heat; add tuna steaks and sear for 2 minutes on each side for medium rare. Remove from heat and slice thin. Set aside to cool. In a medium bowl, toss the vegetables with vinaigrette dressing. Place romaine lettuce on plates and arrange the vegetables, olives and egg slices around the greens toward the outside of the plate. Place the tuna steak on top of the greens. Drizzle a small amount of vinaigrette over the tuna and vegetables. If using goat cheese, crumble a small amount on top of the tuna. Nicoise salad should be served at room temperature or cold.

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