Confit Yellowfin Tuna - Chef Recipe by Anthony Shone

Ingredients

350g yellowfin tuna
100mL good olive oil
Salt to taste
4 Hervey Bay scallops
1 bunch asparagus, cut into 5cm lengths
1 Tbs shallots, finely diced
1 Tbs capers, finely diced
2 Tbs red tomatoes, finely diced
1 Tbs Italian parsley and coriander, finely chopped
50g black olive paste

Celeriac:

100mL cream
50mL milk
100g celeriac
Pinch salt
2 sheets gelatine

Vegetables:

2 large red potatoes
300mL duck fat
Small bunch thyme
200g cucumber
50mL Chardonnay vinegar
Pinch of salt
Olive oil

Method

Celeriac

In a heavy-based pot, place cream, milk and celeriac. Add salt to taste and simmer until the celeriac is very soft. Purée the mix so that it is smooth as silk.

While the cream is still hot, bloom the gelatine and add to the mix, make sure it is fully incorporated. Pour into a small tray lined with clean film so it is about a centimetre deep. Allow to set in fridge. After it has set, dice into 1cm squares and put aside for plating.

Vegetables

Cut the potatoes in to four perfect squares and cook gently on stove in the fat and thyme. Be careful that the fat doesn’t boil, make sure it is simmering lightly at the most. Once the potatoes are tender, remove from the fat and season.

Peel the cucumber and cut in to perfect 1.5cm squares. Place into a sous vide bag and add the vinegar, a pinch of salt and a good dash of olive oil. In the sous vide machine lay the bag out flat and compress twice so that the cucumbers become a translucent green.

Tuna and Scallops

Cut the tuna into two even portions. Place in a sous vide bag and add the olive oil and salt. Compress the bag, removing all of the air. About 15 minutes prior to serving, cook in a water bath and pre-heat to 50°C for 10 minutes. Once cooked, remove from bag.

Slice the scallops through the middle so you now have eight thin scallop disks.
Remove the liquid from the cucumber bag and pour over the scallops. Add more salt if needed. Add the diced shallots, capers, tomatoes and herbs, which makes a basic salsa.

To Serve

Pre-arrange the cucumber, celeriac, and the scallop ceviche on the plate.

Note: you will have extra ingredients so don’t over crowd the plate.

Roast the potato in the oven at 180°C until golden. Once cooked, blanch the asparagus and sear the tuna for no more than 30 seconds on each side.

Note - don’t overcook as the water bath has cooked it perfectly.

Plate ingredients, add a drop of olive oil paste, drizzle some olive oil over the top and serve.

Credits: Flavours of Queensland is available for $80 from Smudge Eats Bookshop