Tuna crudo

A crave-inducing appetizer!

I’ve long been a fan of well-prepared raw fish, having first tasted excellent sushi on a trip to New York City in the early 1980s. Not long after, I was delighted to discover ceviche – an intoxicating blend of fish, citrus juice and chilies that hails from Peru. Next up was my first just-plucked-from-the-sea raw scallop. New to me this year was another variation on raw fish, known simply as crudo (Italian for ‘raw’) which I discovered at Supply and Demand, a delicious eatery in Ottawa which was just named number 4 on the respected enRoute magazine’s list of the top new restaurants in Canada. My husband loves Supply and Demand’s tuna crudo so much that I was determined to come up with my own version. As with all raw fish dishes, be sure to use the best quality tuna you can find, and purchase it from a reputable fishmonger.

Ingredients

• 1 slightly stale baguette
• 3 – 4 tablespoons (45 – 60 mL) olive oil
• 1 pound (454 grams) albacore or ahi tuna loin
• 1 teaspoon (5 mL) coarse sea salt or kosher salt
• 1 medium shallot, minced (about 1/4 cup)
• 2 teaspoons (10 mL) capers, drained well and chopped
• 1/2 red chili pepper (Thai or birdseye), seeds removed and very thinly sliced (or 1/4 teaspoon (1.25 mL) crushed red pepper flakes)
• 12 leaves basil OR small handful fresh chives, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup (60 mL) olive oil
• juice of 1 lemon (at least 2 tablespoons or 30 mL)

Method

• Preheat oven to 375F.
• To make crostini, slice baguette thinly (1/4 inch) and lay the slices out on a baking tray.
• Brush bread slices lightly with olive oil and bake until just beginning to brown (6 – 8 minutes). Flip slices over and bake 3 – 4 minutes longer.
• Remove from oven and transfer slices to a cooling rack. (NOTE: you can make the crostini several days ahead.)
• Place the tuna in the freezer for 15 minutes to help it firm up which will make it easier to slice.
• Use a very sharp knife to cut the tuna into very thin slices (about 1/8 inch thick).
• As you work, arrange the tuna slices in a single layer on a serving platter. (NOTE: you can do this up to 3 hours ahead of time; cover the platter with plastic wrap and refrigerate until serving time).
• When ready to serve, sprinkle the tuna generously with the salt, then with the shallots, chilis, capers and basil or chives.
• Whisk the oil and lemon juice together until well blended and drizzle over the tuna.
• Serve immediately, with the crostini.

Serves 6 – 8 as an appetizer.