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South Coast Tuna

Master The Menu: RAFI’S South Coast Tuna Recipe

Good Food named our raw tuna as one of Sydney’s best dishes of 2022 and now you can recreate it at home.

This fresh and vibrant recipe is a combination of Szechuan flavours and Middle Eastern ingredients with raw tuna, crunchy cucumbers, a creamy tahini base, fresh coriander and sweet and spicy chilli oil. It’s a symphony of flavours and textures – rich in umami, nutty, creamy, and delightfully crunchy – a perfect sensory experience in every bite! Present this dish at your next dinner gathering, or keep it all to yourself to avoid a showdown for the last mouthful!

Set The Mood:

Channel RAFI’S breezy vibes at home with our curated playlist.

Recipe Video:

Our Executive Head Chef Matias Cillóniz shows you the tips and tricks for the perfect tuna in this video.

About The Dish

We source locally caught yellowfin tuna from the Sapphire Coast through our trusted fishmonger, Northside Seafood. After receiving it, we expertly trim and dice the tuna for a melt-in-your-mouth experience.

Inspired by the Szechuan “dish of strange flavour,” our dish combines sesame paste, vinegar, soy sauce, and sugar with aromatic chilli oil. We give it a unique twist with Middle Eastern ingredients, using top-grade tahini, white vinegar, heirloom cherry tomatoes, Lebanese cucumber, and fresh coriander leaves.

To elevate the flavours, we generously drizzle our aromatic chilli oil, infused with crispy shallots, pepita seeds, and a blend of fresh and dried chilli peppers.

Ingredients

Chilli Crunch
Oil
Pepitas
Shallots
Garlic
Sesame

Tahini Dressing
Tahini
Soy sauce
Vinegar
Sugar

Tuna
Tuna (mix of loin and belly)
Lebanese cucumbers
Heirloom tomatoes
Fresh coriander
Salt (according to taste)

Method

For the chilli oil, begin by deep frying the shallots until they turn crispy. Drain and repeat the process with the garlic and chilli.

Toast the seeds in the oven until they become fragrant. Mix the fried aromatics, seeds and oil together. Allow this mixture to cool.

Prepare the tahini dressing by mixing tahini, soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar.

Deseed the cucumber and dice with the tuna, halve the cherry tomatoes, and pick the fresh coriander leaves. Season them with a pinch of salt.

To serve, start with a base of tahini dressing, then layer on the tuna salad. Finally, generously drizzle it all with the chilli crunch/oil.

Serve straight away with a fluffy pile of pita to mop up every bit of the sauce.