Bigeye Tuna Loin, Fava Bean "Guacamole", Shaved Radish and Celtuce, Cilantro and Scarlet Runner Bean Flowers, Pickled Young Shallot & Garlic, Chia Seeds
I've always had some pretty strong opinions about tuna. For example, I think that eating bluefin tuna is worse than eating a dog. But we'll save that one for another post. Instead I'll focus on my opinion that tuna loin, the most frequently consumed tuna part, should not be cooked and instead only eaten raw. A few rare instances of just barely cooked tuna, like tataki, are the exceptions to this rule. I just feel that when you take a beautiful piece of tuna loin and sear it on high heat you basically just ruin the outside of it. And if you go so far as to cook it anywhere past rare you might as well just give it to your dog or cat to eat it. Cooking a protein should enhance it's flavor or add to it. And in the case of tuna loin I don't think this can usually be achieved. But I'm going to stop ranting now and explain this dish you see above.
The tuna I used in this dish was of the "Bigeye" variety, caught by hook & line in the waters surrounding the Marshall Islands between Hawaii and Micronesia. If you are concerned with seafood sustainability, which you should be, hook & line caught fish are almost always the way to go. It avoids by-catch and helps to ensure that tuna schools can replenish themselves.
I simply sliced some half inch chunks of the tuna off of the loin, rubbed them with a little olive oil, sprinkled them with sea salt and some chia seeds for texture. Like I said, tuna doesn't need to be messed with too much. Like an oyster it's pretty much perfect on it's own.
This whole dish actually formed in my mind around the fava bean puree. My girlfriend has an avocado allergy which prevents her from experiencing the joys of guacamole. So I thought of a way to make it without any allergens in it. I turned to the fava bean for help. I cooked the beans in salted boiling water til soft and shelled them. I combined them with fire-roasted jalapenos, garlic, red onion, creme fraiche, cilantro and lime and pureed them til smooth. It ended up not tasting too much like actual gauc but it was pretty awesome none-the-less.
I pickled some green shallots (green referring to the age of the shallots and not the color) in cane vinegar, sugar, salt, coriander, cumin and garlic. I chilled them before plating. I sliced some thin pieces of radish and celtuce. I also did a "brunoise" or fine dice on them as well which were marinated in lime juice.
I finished the dish with some cilantro and scarlet runner bean flowers.
Product :
Marshall Islands Hook & Line Caught Bigeye Tuna - Ippolito's Seafood
Organic Fava Beans - Queen's Farm
Organic Celtuce - Queen's Farm
Organic Green Garlic - Queen's Farm
Organic Young Shallots - Happy Cat Farm
Organic Cilantro & Scarlett Runner Bean Blossoms - My Garden
The tuna I used in this dish was of the "Bigeye" variety, caught by hook & line in the waters surrounding the Marshall Islands between Hawaii and Micronesia. If you are concerned with seafood sustainability, which you should be, hook & line caught fish are almost always the way to go. It avoids by-catch and helps to ensure that tuna schools can replenish themselves.
I simply sliced some half inch chunks of the tuna off of the loin, rubbed them with a little olive oil, sprinkled them with sea salt and some chia seeds for texture. Like I said, tuna doesn't need to be messed with too much. Like an oyster it's pretty much perfect on it's own.
This whole dish actually formed in my mind around the fava bean puree. My girlfriend has an avocado allergy which prevents her from experiencing the joys of guacamole. So I thought of a way to make it without any allergens in it. I turned to the fava bean for help. I cooked the beans in salted boiling water til soft and shelled them. I combined them with fire-roasted jalapenos, garlic, red onion, creme fraiche, cilantro and lime and pureed them til smooth. It ended up not tasting too much like actual gauc but it was pretty awesome none-the-less.
I pickled some green shallots (green referring to the age of the shallots and not the color) in cane vinegar, sugar, salt, coriander, cumin and garlic. I chilled them before plating. I sliced some thin pieces of radish and celtuce. I also did a "brunoise" or fine dice on them as well which were marinated in lime juice.
I finished the dish with some cilantro and scarlet runner bean flowers.
Product :
Marshall Islands Hook & Line Caught Bigeye Tuna - Ippolito's Seafood
Organic Fava Beans - Queen's Farm
Organic Celtuce - Queen's Farm
Organic Green Garlic - Queen's Farm
Organic Young Shallots - Happy Cat Farm
Organic Cilantro & Scarlett Runner Bean Blossoms - My Garden