If you want to impress your dinner guests and enjoy a fresh, super satisfying and easy to prepare entree, this creation should be at the top of your list.
The tartare dish as we know it today originated in France in the mid-19th century and was made from horse meat. Today it is made from beef tenderloin, which is finely diced, seasoned and compressed into a small patty shape on the plate and usually topped with a raw egg. The pescatarian – not at all keen on beef – demanded and was rewarded with a more appetising dish: red tuna tartare.
Tuna tartare is very easy to make, requires no cooking and little time to prepare and is a tasty, fresh and light appetiser or meal. This recipe, which has a more Asian bent, is often found on the menus of quality establishments, sometimes with the addition of finely cubed avocado and red bell peppers. I picked up the recipe below at some point on my kitchen journey.
Ingredients:
(4-6 persons)
- 450-500 g fresh red tuna (yellow fin)
- 2.5-3 cm thumb of ginger, finely chopped/grated
- 2 stems of fresh green onion finely diced
- 1 small red hot chilli pepper (scrape and discard seeds if you don’t want too much heat)
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- 4 tbsp Japanese soy sauce
- 1 tbsp honey
- Juice of one lime
- Half the zest of one lime
- A twist of cracked pepper
- Crostini or toast
- Lime wedges for additional flavouring if desired
- Fresh coriander leaves, for decoration
Method:
Finely cube the tuna, making sure to remove any parts of the bloodline or sinews; place in a bowl and keep chilled in fridge. Finely chop the green onion stems and place on the tuna in fridge. Toast the sesame seeds and set aside to cool. Add to a bowl the ginger and red chilli pepper. Add the soy sauce and mix in honey until it dissolves. Add the lime juice and zest, sesame oil and sesame seeds. Mix well and set aside until ready to combine for serving.
Half an hour before serving, add the mixed sauce to the red tuna and green onion. Mix everything well and add a twist of cracked pepper. No salt is needed due to the saltiness of the soy sauce.
Shape with a ring if you want restaurant presentation, or serve as a spooned dollop if you prefer. Decorate with coriander leaves, serve with a lime wedge and crostini or toast. Any way you serve it, it is worth the effort.
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