Yellow Fin Tuna
Attributes
Firm, light meat with full flavor. Lean fish.
Substitutes
Swordfish, Mahi-Mahi, King Mackerel.
How Much to Buy
Whole or drawn fish: 3/4 to 1 pound per serving.
Dressed or cleaned fish: 1/2 pound per serving.
Fillets or steaks: 1/4 to 1/3 pound per serving.
Buying, Storage and Handling
Remember to purchase seafood last and keep it cold during the trip home.
Fresh whole fish should have:
-- A shiny surface with tightly adhering scales.
-- Gills that are deep red or pink, free of slime, mucus and off-odor.
-- Clean shiny belly cavity with no cuts or protruding bones.
-- A mild aroma, similar to the ocean.
Fresh steaks, fillets and loins should have:
-- A translucent look.
-- Flesh that is firm and not separating.
-- A mild odor, similar to the ocean.
-- No discoloration.
-- Packaging that keeps them from being bent in an unnatural position.
Preparation
Keep raw and cooked seafood separate to prevent bacterial cross-contamination.
After handling raw seafood thoroughly wash knives, cutting surfaces, sponges and your hands with hot soapy water.
Always marinate seafood in the refrigerator.
Discard marinade; it contains raw juices which may harbor bacteria.
When marinade is needed for basting reserve a portion before adding raw seafood.
Cooking
The Yellow Fin Tuna's light and mild-flavored meat can be cooked in a variety of ways: smoked, grilled, blackened, baked, broiled or sauteed; overcooking reduces moisture and flavor.
The general rule is 10 minutes per inch of thickness, at the thickest part of the fillet or steak, at 400-450 degrees F.
If fish is cooked in parchment, foil or a sauce, add 5 minutes to the total cooking time.
Fillets less than 1/2 inch thick do not need to be turned during cooking.
Fish cooks quickly. Do not overcook.
Fish is done when the flesh becomes opaque and flakes easily when tested with a fork.
Poaching, steaming, baking, broiling, sautéing, microwaving are excellent low-fat cooking methods, if you do not add high fat ingredients.
Marinate in your favorite salad dressing prior to cooking.
Broil, bake, steam or microwave, then cube and add to pasta or salad greens for a delicious salad.
Broil or grill with lime-butter and seasoned salt.
Oil the grill to prevent fish from sticking.
Bake whole fish with a crab or shrimp stuffing.
Add leftover fish in broken pieces to salads, soups or sauces.
Nutrition
Nutritional values for approximately 4 ounces (114 grams) of raw, edible portions
| Calories | 130 | |
| Calories From Fat | 20 | |
| Total Fat | 2 | g |
| Saturated Fat | .5 | g |
| Cholesterol | 50 | mg |
| Sodium | 70 | mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 0 | g |
| Protein | 26 | g |
| Vitamin A | 0 | %DV |
| Vitamin C | 0 | %DV |
| Calcium | 0 | %DV |
| Iron | 4 | %DV |
| Omega-3 Fatty Acid | 0.23 | g |
More About the Yellow Fin Tuna
Tuna, one of mankind's most ancient and honored foods, were pursued by fishermen hundreds of years before the time of Christ. Ancient Greeks referred to tuna as "thunnos" and admired them because they are large, fight hard, and are an excellent food fish.
Torpedo shaped and beautifully colored, the yellow fin tuna (Thunnus albacares) is a member of the very large mackerel (Scombridae) family. They are one of the world`s most important food fish. They are pelagic and restlessly roam the deeper offshore waters of Florida's Gulf and Atlantic Coasts. Tuna travel in schools and are rapid swimmers feeding primarily on fish, squid, crab larvae and shrimp.
Yellow fin tuna can weigh up to 400 pounds but average weights are smaller in commercial catches. In Florida they are commercially harvested exclusively with hook-and-line which makes the fishery "dolphin-safe."
