A Tower of Tuna Tartare with Asian Dressing

One of my favourite things to eat is tuna. I love it as sushi, sashimi, seared as a steak but I particularly like Tuna Tartare.  I can pretty much be guaranteed to order it if I am out for dinner, but I have never made it.  Probably one of the main reasons is it is really really expensive.  The price at the St. Lawrence Market yesterday was $27.99 per pound!!  Ouch.

So I bought a pound with a plan to make two different tuna dishes for me and the Om for dinner - at that price the kids are going to have to eat something else!  Just kidding....I fed it to them.  The Teen LOVED it while the T-Rex thought it was ok with too much lime.  Such a critic for someone not 10 for another month!

For those that don't know, tartare is basically a preparation of finely chopped meat - either beef or fish - that is seasoned with spices and served with a sauce.  That's it.  You MUST have the freshest of fish or beef and be very careful when handling it to ensure it stays cold in preparation and that no cross-contamination with any potentially harmful ingredients occurs.

One of my favourite favourites is the Tuna Tartare at ByMark in Toronto (which is in my opinion one of the best restaurants in the City).  Mark McEwan serves his tuna as a tower atop a crispy rice cake with layers of lime-spiked avocado and Japanese mustard aioli.  I get hungry just thinking about it!  My other favourite still is the Tartare di Tonno at Med Bar & Grill in Montreal, where they serve a spicy tuna tartar with avocado, coriander emulsion and taro chips.  The below is my attempt to create something in the spirit of both of those dishes. 

Tower of Tuna Tartare with Asian Dressing 

(Serves 4 as an appetizer)

1/2 pound very fresh tuna steak, ahi if possible.
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp lime zest
1/4 cup lime juice (2 limes)

1/2 teaspoon wasabi powder
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon salt

1/2 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

1 minced scallion, white and green parts

1/4 cup cilantro, very finely chopped.
1 ripe avocado

1/2 tablespoons sesame seeds, for garnish - optional

Dressing:

1/2 teaspoon wasabi powder
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons mirin
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp rice wine vinegar
Juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon agave nectar
Freshly ground black pepper

Chop tuna into a 1/4 inch dice and place it in a large bowl. In another bow mix all wet ingredients (not the avocado) together. Pour this mixture over the  tuna and allow the tuna and mix well.  Allow the mixture to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.  

For the dressing, shortly before serving, stir together the wasabi powder and 1 tablespoon water to make a smooth paste. Whisk in the soy sauce, lime, mirin, sesame oil, vinegar, and agave nectar. Add black pepper to taste. Set aside.

When ready to serve, cut the avocado in half and discard the big centre seed.  Using a spoon scoop out the ripe avocado flesh into a bowl.  Chop to a 1/4 inch dice. Carefully mix the avocado into the tuna mixture. Add toasted sesame seeds and season to taste. 

Helpful Hint:  I find the best way to get the seed out of the avocado is to hold the avocado half in the palm of your hand then whack the seed in the middle with the blade of a chef's knife - you will find the knife will stick in the seed - twist the knife gently to the right, and remove the seed while still attached to the knife. To remove the seed from your knife, bang the shaft of the knife against a hard surface and the seed should just pop off.

To Serve:

If you want to be fancy, spoon the tuna into a mold to give the tower effect. I don't think I did too bad considering this was my first time constructing a tower from raw fish :-).

You can use a 2-inch chef ring or an small clean pizza sauce can with the top and bottom lids cut out (as I did) or use a section of PVC pipe cut to the appropriate height (thank you Ming Tsai on Top Chef for that idea).  Basically, you do not have to spend an arm and a leg to buy the special molds Food Network chefs try to sell you from their product lines ;-).   Oh, and I found it does help if you lightly oil the inside of the mold to assist in ease of removal.

To build your tower, lay a foundation layer of sprouts or greens at the base of the mold.  Fill the mold with the tuna-avocado mixture, being sure to pack it down lightly.  Drizzle the sauce around the base of the tuna tower.  Sprinkle with sesame seeds for contrast and garnish with alfalfa or ther sprouts, pea shoots or other small delicate green if desired.   Then carefully lift off the ring...hopefully you have a beautiful tower before you to eat!

This recipe could easily be doubled or trippled for a big party (rather expensive though) and served in baked won ton cups or on Asian soup spoons or on top of good quality waffle cut potato chips.

Won Ton Cups

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place wonton skins on a cutting board and brush lightly with oil. Press each into a miniature muffin tin, oiled side down. Bake until wonton crisps are golden brown, about 8–10 minutes. Allow to cool for five minutes in the tin, then set aside and repeat. (The crisps can be made up to two weeks in advance.)