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Cornwall Living

Recipe of the month

Looking forward to the freshest catch this summer.

With the onset of summer, comes a lightness of ingredients and what I’m really excited about this year is the coming of the Atlantic Bluefin tuna season, where these majestic beasts are now fished from Cornish waters. What was once considered an endangered species has come back and is being seen in abundance around Cornwall. The rise in stock of bluefin tuna has been phenomenal, and so last year, DEFRA granted just ten licences to fishermen to line-catch bluefin tuna for the first time in decades – eight of which were granted to Cornish boats. We’ve had a lot of incredible sightings of tunas, breaching and chasing their prey all around the Cornwall coast and I’m really super-excited that my kitchens will have access to this amazing product. What could be better? It’s sustainable because it’s line-caught cord and it really fits into my light and bright style of cooking.

Fine fishermen go out and line-catch these beasts of the sea, sometimes battling with them for a couple of hours trying to reel them in – some have reportedly been tipping the scale at an incredible 454 kilos! These really are substantial fish, usually coming in at up to 260 kilos, so I’m going to be looking at adding a tuna section to both of my restaurant’s menus, to allow me to use as much of the fish as possible, all while supporting the amazing fishermen who catch them. I feel that my duty as a Cornish chef and restaurant owner is to try and buy as much tuna as I can to stop them having to travel too far. Diners can expect to see fresh tuna, tuna ceviche and some sesame crust tuna; as well as delicious tuna steaks and the ever-popular tuna salad. For me, it’s about showcasing a product that we are all super- excited and proud of.

It’s really important that fresh tuna is looked after carefully as soon after it has been landed as possible, and in fact, it benefits from being aged as you would beef. The ideal temperature for ageing a fish is between 1-6 ̊C as any lower can cause ice crystals to form thus damaging the flesh of the fish, whilst any higher would cause the fish to rot. In Japan, tuna is usually aged for seven to ten days by the fishmonger before being sold to a restaurant. The restaurant can then continue to age the tuna for three to four days and up to a week if the tuna is extra fatty.

The cooking of tuna brings with it many traditions, all paying homage to this beautiful fish. In Japan, bluefin tuna head meat, also known as the ‘Zumiko’, is famous for its succulent texture, which has a great balance between flesh and fat and is wonderful seared on a barbecue. I’m going to pay my own culinary respects to our Cornish tuna and have some wacky ideas about utilising the whole fish; from the more muscular bits, which will have some chewy fibres, to the softer belly each piece will need to be utilised in the right way. The end result will be dishes that are so fantastic and fresh from local waters – I’m hoping that this will be a true tuna education for all!

There is no doubt that the Japanese-style of preparing tuna works really well; we should take note of how the nation prepares their fish so beautifully, treating it with such respect. There’s perhaps nothing better than tuna sashimi, dipped in the best soy you get, accompanied with a little fresh grated wasabi and ginger on the side; or a simple, freshly diced tuna tartare is incredible too. Even though I love bluefin tuna fresh and uncooked, I still love a pure tuna steak that’s been cooked beautifully. Serve with a mix of chargrilled summer vegetables (asparagus is especially good with tuna) and a light summery dressing or you could build a Japanese-style salad with seared tuna.

Our Josper grill is perfect for searing tuna as it runs at 400 ̊C. Searing the tuna at this super- hot heat gives it an instant smoky flavour while retaining a beautiful rare centre and as you let it rest the heat penetrates through the layers of flesh. Serve with a dressing of soy, yuzu or lemon and a drizzle of sesame oil.

TUNA TATAKI WITH MANGO GINGER DRESSING AND SALSA FRESCA

I’m proud to offer bluefin tuna in my restaurants as the quality is just superb, and I’m so lucky to have such amazing ingredients on the doorstep.
This dish offers a great way to enjoy it with very little cooking needed. To make this dish really sing, do your best to source bluefin tuna.

SERVES 6

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 kg piece of tuna loin (bluefin if possible), cut into rectangle shapes
  • 80g white sesame seeds
  • 80g black sesame seeds
  • Sea salt
  • Rapeseed oil for cooking
  • For the Dressing:
  • 1 ripe mango, peeled and destoned
  • 1 thumb of ginger, peeled and chopped 1 red chilli
  • 3 lime, zest and juice
  • 50ml fish sauce
  • 50ml rice wine vinegar
  • 30g palm sugar
  • 30g coriander leaves, chopped
  • 50ml toasted sesame oil
  • 350ml rapeseed oil
  • Salt and white pepper

For the Salsa:

  • 3 tomatoes, skinned, pulp removed, finely diced
  • 1/3 cucumber, peeled, pulp removed, finely diced
  • 1⁄2 red onion, finely diced
  • 30g coriander, chopped
  • 2 lime, zest and juice
  • 1 green Jalapeno chilli, finely diced Salt and pepper to taste

For the Garnish:

  • 2 red chilli, sliced
  • 50g coriander leaves
  • 6 pink radishes, thinly sliced

METHOD

1  Start by making the salsa. Simply combine all the ingredients in a bowl, though I recommend not adding all the Jalapeno at once. Perhaps add half and check you’re happy with the heat before adding anymore.

2  To make the dressing, add all the ingredients into a blender, except for the oil, and blend until smooth. Next, pour in the oils and mix to form an emulsion. The quantities here will make more than you need, so set aside the extra to use as salad dressing for another meal.

3 Combine the sesame seeds and salt on a tray. Roll the tuna portions in the mix, shaking off any excess seeds and place on a plate ready to cook. Cook the portions in a frying pan on a medium heat with a little oil. You just want to colour the seeds slightly, then turn the portions over to cook briefly on the other side. About 40 seconds on each side is a good guide. When they are done, leave to rest for a couple of minutes.

4 To serve, slice the tuna and arrange onto plates. Drizzle the dressing in between the tuna slice then do the same with the salsa. Garnish with chilli, coriander and radishes.

There is no doubt that the Japanese-style of preparing tuna works really well; we should take note of how the nation prepares their fish so beautifully, treating it with such respect.