TUNA TARTARE
1 pound, Sushi grade Tuna. Very important to get the freshest available
Half of a Red Onion, small diced
Half of a Jalapeno Pepper, small diced
1 bunch Cilantro, chopped
1 inch piece of Fresh Ginger, peeled and minced
2 Avocados, diced
Juice of one Lime
1 teaspoon Soy Sauce
1 tablespoon Sweet Chili Sauce
Dash of Siracha or your favorite Hot Sauce
Salt and Pepper To Taste
1) Place all wet ingredients in a mixing bowl.
2) Add the Onions, Jalapeno, Ginger and Cilantro to the bowl.
3) Remove the Tuna from the fridge and dice it medium. This doesn’t have to be perfect, just cold and fresh. Add to the bowl.
4) Dice the ripe Avocados and add to the bowl. Combine all ingredients.
5) Taste, adjust seasoning with Salt and Pepper. At this point you can decide how spicy you want your Tartare to be. More hot sauce? Do you want more Soy? Add a dash! This recipe can be altered to your liking.
6) At home we serve the Tartare in a bowl and enjoy with your favorite Tortilla Chip.
Note: Freshness of the Tuna is the key. Always look for a deep red, ruby color.
Note 2: If you don’t have fresh ginger, just omit. Dry Ginger is completely different, in my opinion.
Tuna was always on the Summer menu at John Palmer’s Bistro 44. We did many different preparations, but the Asian flavors were almost always involved. I liked to use the end of the Tuna Loins and make a Tartare dish for a “special.” For another variation we would sometimes add a tablespoon or two of mayonnaise. This gives the tuna creamy taste and feel. The batch should not be overly saucy.
Note 3: Tuna Tartare is meant to showcase the freshness of the tuna, so we make sure the flavor of the fish is the primary flavor.
Last Note: This dish has a short shelf life. It’s great for sitting around “noshing.” Enjoying many apps. Or as a starter to a meal.
Enjoy this with a beautiful sunset or with a Florida summer rainstorm. Compliments of Chef John and Michelle De Joy, Owners of John Palmer’s Bistro 44, in Concord, Ohio, and currently Saraceno residents
