How to make seafood king Josh Niland’s famous double tuna cheeseburger

Australia’s seafood king Josh Niland has transformed the humble cheeseburger with a double yellowfin tuna creation hailed by Hollywood star Zac Efron as one of the best burgers he has ever eaten.

The acclaimed chef shared the signature recipe from his new cookbook, Saint Peter: Chapter & Verse, which celebrates a decade of his revolutionary Sydney restaurant and features more than 140 dishes.

1. To make the patties, set up a meat grinder on a sanitised work surface. Place the tuna in the freezer and, once below 0°C (30°F), mince through a 13 mm(½ in) plate. Combine

2. the ground tuna with all of the remaining ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Form a small patty and fry it in oil in a hot frying pan to check the seasoning, adjusting if necessary.

3. Layer four 60 cm (23½ in) sheets of plastic wrap on a bench and place the mixture in a tight 50 cm (19¾ in) long log along the bottom. Wrap tightly, maintaining an even and round thickness andadiameterofl0 cm (4in). Freeze and tum every hour or so until it sets so the result is cylindrical, not flat on one side. Once frozen, use a sharp knife to slice the log into twelve 1 cm ( ½ in) thick slices weighing 7 0 g ( 2 ½ oz) each. The patties are best cooked from frozen to achieve maximum colour and moisture.

4. For the mayonnaise, put everything except the oil in a Thermomix on speed 10 for 90 seconds, then tum down to speed 7. Slowly emulsify in the oil and adjust the seasoning to taste with further lemon juice and salt.

5. To make the burger sauce, combine 150 g (S½ oz) of the mayonnaise with all the ingredients and season to taste.

6. When ready to cook the patties, set a large, heavy-bottom cast-iron pan over a medium heat. Brush the frozen tuna patties with the oil instead of adding oil to the pan. Place half of the patties in the pan and cook for 90 seconds on the first side until well caramelised, then turn to the other side. With a minute remaining on the second side, place a cheese slice on top of each patty and allow to gently melt. Stack the patties together into doubles, remove from the pan and allow to rest. Repeat with remaining patties and cheese.

7. In a deep fryer, fry the Swordfish belly bacon until crisp and golden, about 30 seconds. Remove and drain on paper towel.

8. Lightly toast the cut sides of the milk buns in a clean cast-iron pan and then the outside of the top bun. Add a tablespoon of burger sauce to the bottom half of each bun and place a stack of double patties on top. Add three slices of pickle and a tablespoon of diced onion to each. Season the tomato slices with sea salt flakes and cracked black pepper and position on top of the pickles and onions. Place a lettuce leaf then four slices of swordfish bacon on each burger. Add a spoonful of burger sauce to the lids and spread evenly, edge to edge. Top the burger with the lid and serve immediately.

1. Combine the cure ingredients in a bowl. Weigh the fish and use the ratio of 130 g ( 4½ oz) of dry bacon cure per 1 kg (2 lb 3 oz) of fish. Sprinkle the cure evenly over the belly and place on a stainless-steel tray.