Tuna Tartare Recipe

Tuna Tartare Notes

This recipe comes to us courtesy of Jill Norman's fabulous spice book, "Herbs and Spices: The Cook's Reference." It's the best book on spices and herbs we've seen yet, and it has great recipes as well.

Ingredients

• 1/2 hot house cucumber
• to taste, salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 10 ounces very fresh tuna fillet
• 1-2 lemons, juiced
• 1-2 teaspoons wasabi paste
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh chives, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, or mitsuba, chopped

Serves / Yields

Serves 4

Preparation Instructions

Peel alternate strips of the cucumber, cut it in half lengthwise, and remove the seeds. Slice very thinly and spread in a colander. Sprinkle the layers of cucumber with salt and let drain for 1 hour.

Remove the skin from the tuna and dice the flesh with a very sharp knife. Put the flesh into a bowl. Combine the lemon juice and wasabi with a little salt and pour over the fish. Lift the fish with your fingers to mix it well with the dressing. Cover, refrigerate, and let marinate for 1 hour.

Rinse the cucumber and dry on a cloth. Make a vinaigrette with the vinegar, olive oil, and pepper, and stir in the cucumber and chives. Spoon a flattish circle of cucumber onto a serving plate. Drain the tuna and mound it on top. Garnish with the mitsuba or parsley.