Hamachi tiradito

Ingredients

Ponzu sauce
1 small, fresh jalapeño, sliced
2 tbsp. chopped shallots
2 tsp. peeled and grated fresh ginger
1 piece lemon grass, chopped
1 cup light soy sauce
3/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup white balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup mirin (sweet rice wine)
1/2 cup sushi seasoning
1/2 cup yuzu juice
1/2 cup water

Hamachi tiradito
8 oz. hamachi tuna, cleaned and portioned into 1/2-oz. slices
1 red radish, sliced into thin rounds
1/2 small, fresh jalapeño, thinly sliced with rings intact
Pearls of 1/2 finger lime
2 oz. soy caviar (optional)
Maldon salt, to taste
1/2 cup ponzu sauce (see recipe)

Directions

For sauce: In a saucepan, bring all ingredients to a boil. Once at a boil, turn off heat and let steep for 1 hour. Strain and let cool, then use disposable pipettes to keep sauce for presentation. The sauce stores well in the refrigerator and can be made days ahead of time. (Any leftover sauce is terrific over rice, or glazed over baked salmon or ling cod.)

To serve: Arrange tuna slices on a serving plate. Place sliced radish on top of tuna, then arrange sliced jalapeño on top of radish. Carefully top with finger lime pearls and soy caviar, if desired (a little goes a long way). Dust with Maldon salt. Place pipette of 1/2 cup ponzu sauce next to the arranged tuna or pour directly just before serving. Due to the high acidity level in the sauce, this needs to be done at the last minute or it will "cook" the tuna, making the texture undesirable.

Note: The bottled seasoning ingredients such as sushi seasoning and yuzu juice are available at specialty food stores and most grocery stores. Soy caviar is typically made with soy sauce and agar agar, a gelatin substitute. See recipe or replace with real caviar.

Serves 4

Photo: © 2017 Richard Green