
Although it looks beautifully complex this light appetizer is deceptively simple, with only four ingredients. The key ingredient here is the tomato water. Made by extracting the liquid from tomatoes without any of the solids, you get a clear yellow broth that has a bright clean umami and beautifully balanced sweetness and acidity. By thinly slicing and rolling the bigeye tuna into a flower, it not only makes for a visually stunning plate, the "petals" help hold the mustard seeds and micro-shiso in place after you've covered everything in tomato water.
DIRECTIONS
- Put the tomatoes along with 1/2 teaspoon of salt into a food processor and pulse a few times to break the tomatoes up. Do not puree the tomatoes.
- Wet a clean piece butter muslin and use it to line a sieve placed over a bowl. Pour the tomato mixture into the lined sieve. Drain this mixture until the droplets coming out of the sieve turn clear. Discard the initial cloudy tomato water, or use it for another purpose. Put the sieve over a clean bowl and let the tomato water drain in the refrigerator for 12 hours.
- Discard the solids and then carefully drain off the tomato water, leaving any sediment behind in the bowl.
- Discard the solids and then carefully drain off the tomato water, leaving any sediment behind in the bowl.
- Using a long sharp knife, slice the tuna as thinly as possible (using tuna that is still partially frozen makes this easier), lining up the sliced tuna partially overlapping each slice. Add 12 thin slices (about 60 grams of tuna), to each line.
- Using a long sharp knife, slice the tuna as thinly as possible (using tuna that is still partially frozen makes this easier), lining up the sliced tuna partially overlapping each slice. Add 12 thin slices (about 60 grams of tuna), to each line.
- Place each tuna flower into a serving bowl. Garnish with mustard seeds and micro shiso.
- Pour the tomato water into single serving flasks and pour it over the tuna tableside. The water will start to "cook" the fish on contact, which is why it's important to pour it over the fish just before consuming.
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: none
Passive time: none
- 525 Grams ripe tomatoes
- 1/2 teaspoon + 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 240 grams fresh Bigeye tuna
- pickled mustard seeds
- micro-shiso