Recipe: Spicy Citrusy Tuna Tartare
Tangy citrus juice, spices, crunchy scallions and creamy avocado make this tuna tartare stand out from all others.
June 17 was an auspicious date for me as it marked both the last gig I will cater in Manhattan and the start of my farewell cooking tour throughout the summer of 2019. Luckily, the party was for one of my favorite clients in her fabulous apartment high above the city on the Upper East Side overlooking the reservoir in Central Park. A few private dinners are left on the calendar and then a month in Aspen followed by a month in Southampton before I return home post-Labor Day and hang up my professional cooking career for good. (Well, never say never, as I am sure there will be a time here and there when I won’t be able to say no to a client.) Almost ten years to the date after I started Secret Ingredients, I will walk away as the writer in the room, and resume cooking for entertainment purposes. My retirement could not have happened soon enough. I am exhausted!
In the several weeks ahead I will try to share some of the best recipes I’ve perfected over the years.This is certainly one of them. There are lots of tuna tartare recipes out there and I find almost all of them bland and boring. This recipes packs in everything you’d want from a tartare: delish sushi-grade tuna, tangy citrus juice and zest, spice from three sources, crunchy scallions and the sweet creamy accompaniment of avocado. I usually serve this on crispy wontons but on a hot summer day I found rice crackers to be a much lighter choice. If you refrigerate the tartare overnight, the acid will “cook” the fish to some degree, so if you like your tartare served crudo style then refrigerate for only a few hours before plating.
Tuna Tartare
Serves 12
2 lbs. sushi-grade tuna, cut into small dice
2 avocadoes, cut into equally sized pieces (after tartare has refrigerated)
2 jalapenos, seeded and finely diced (wear gloves and thoroughly wash cutting board afterward)
2 bunches scallions, cleaned and cut into thin slices, mostly white with a little green
2 limes zested and juiced, additional lime juice to taste if needed
2 teaspoons wasabi paste
4 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon Sriracha
7 good shakes Tabasco
2 tablespoons sesame oil
¼ cup olive oil
Kosher salt to taste, start with a teaspoon
Toasted black sesame seeds for garnish
In a bowl, whisk lime juice and zest, wasabi paste, soy sauce, Sriracha, Tabasco, salt and sesame and olive oils until emulsified. Add tuna, jalapenos and scallions and gently turn. Refrigerate for at least one hour. Remove bowl and add avocado to the tartare. Toast sesame seeds in a skillet over a low flame for two minutes. Top crackers with tartare and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Enjoy!
