BlueWater Boats & Sportsfishing – July 2019

BLUEWATER

GOURMET

Feasts from your

fresh-caught gamefish

BBQ TUNA

COLLAR

AUTHOR: CHEF CORY CAMPBELL
PHOTOGRAPHY: TIM SIMPSON

Although usually discarded, the collar bone

area is a surprisingly tasty portion of the

fish and Chef Cory Campbell’s slow-roasted

BBQ recipe is a must-do next time you get

your handson a large tuna.You’ve never

tastedtuna like this before!

“Thissection

is usually

trimmedoffand

discarded,and

yetit contains

someofthe

juiciestandmost

flavourful flesh

onthefish.”

PREPARATIONS

• Yellowfinorbluefintunacollars.
  (Onecollarfroma 60kgfish
  feeds4 people)


• Masterstock– asperrecipe
  below


• Cookingoil


• Seasalt

FORTHEGLAZE

• 2 x tablespoonstamarindpaste


• 1 x tablespoonsweetsoysauce


• 1 x teaspoonsesameoil

FORTHEGARNISH

• Limewedges


• Redchili,finelychopped


• Garlic,finelychopped


• Soysauce

MASTERSTOCK

• 1.5Lwater


• 100mLlightsoysauce


• 50gcastersugar


• 2 x garliccloves,crushed


• 1 x 5cmginger,crushed


• 1 x cinnamonsticks

ExecutiveChef

CoryCampbell

Cory’stalents,together

withthoseof histeam,

canbeexperiencedat

KokomoPrivateIsland

resortin Fiji:www.

kokomoislandfiji.com

• 2 x staranisepods


• 1 x clove


• 6 x springonionstems


• 4 x Sichuanpeppercorns
  Combine all master stock
  ingredientstogetherin a stockpot.
  Heat on high and bring to a full
  rolling boil for 15 minutes. Then
  reducetheheatto lowandsimmer
  for two hours. Remove from the
  stove topand chillrapidlyoveran
  ice-bath.This stockcan befrozen
  andstoredforupto twomonths.

INSTRUCTIONS

Lightyourgrill 45 minutespriorto

cooking,usinghardwoodcharcoal.

Thefireneedsto burndownin order

to achievea lowertemperaturefor

thecooking.

Rubthetunacollarwithcookingoil

andsetdirectlyoverthesmouldering

coals. Lightly season with sea salt

and grill slowly until brown and

crispy.

Carefully turn the collar, salting

the other side and continue

cooking. Meanwhile, warm your

master stockin a saucepan over

mediumheat.

Turn the collar once more and

grill an additional 10 minutes to

ensure it has thoroughly cooked.

If you insert a skewer into the

thickest part, it should come out

freelyandclean.

Transferthecollarintoa roasting

pan and add the master stock.

Return the pan to your grill and

baste every five minutes for 15

minutes.

Whenready,placethecollarona

serving platter,reserving one cup

of bastingliquidfortheglaze.

TOFINISH

Combine thecup of bastingliquid,

tamarind paste, sweet soy sauce

andsesameoilin a saucepan.Cook

the mixture over medium heat,

reducing it untilslightly thickened.

Spoon over the collar and then

garnishwithlimewedgesanda side

dishof soysauce,garlicandchili.

T

he exquisite though very much underutilised cut of

meat used in this recipe – what I’m calling ‘the collar’

• is the large semicircular bone forming the rear of the
  gill opening, together with the narrow strip of meat
  up to and including the pectoral fin. This section is usually
  trimmed off and discarded, and yet it contains some of the
  juiciest and most flavourful flesh on the fish. It is meaty, yet
  not strong-tasting like usual tuna. This meat is like nothing else
  you will ever taste in seafood.
  When slow-roasted over a wood-fired BBQ, the collar takes
  on a beautiful smoky flavour and the large bone reveals
  pockets containing a surprising volume of delicious meat that
  is juicy and tender.
  I used to serve this dish at Vue de Monde in Melbourne, and
  my Head Chef at Kokomo resort in Fiji, Caroline Oakley, now
  prepares the dish every time a large tuna comes in.

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