Tuna Crudo with Pickled Shallots and Smoked Salt Recipe
20min
30min
4
Crudo, meaning raw in Italian, generally refers to a dish of thinly sliced fish, simply dressed with little more than olive oil, lemon juice, and a pinch of sea salt. We’ve quick pickled finely diced shallots and finished the dish with a pinch of smoked sea salt and Meyer lemon zest. Serve this with grissini (thin breadsticks) or ring-shaped taralli — both available at Italian markets — for a sophisticated yet very simple first course.
Ingredients
- 1 (5 to 7-ounce) bluefin, ahi, or albacore tuna fillets or steak, thawed but chilled
- 2 tablespoons finely diced shallot
- ¼ cup white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
- 1 Meyer lemon
- Smoked flaky sea salt for sprinkling
- Taralli or grissini for serving
Directions
Prepare the Tuna and Shallots
Place the tuna in the freezer for 15 minutes, or until slightly frozen around the edges. Meanwhile, in a small jar, combine the shallot, vinegar, sugar, and fine sea salt. Cover tightly and shake to dissolve the sugar and salt. Let sit at room temperature while the tuna chills.
Slice the Tuna
Using a very sharp, thin-bladed knife, thinly slice the tuna. Wipe the blade with a damp towel between slices to prevent dragging and tearing. Arrange the fish on a platter in a slightly overlapping pattern.
Finish and Serve
Using a slotted spoon, scatter the pickled shallots over the fish, followed by the parsley, and a generous drizzle of olive oil. Using a microplane or zester, grate the lemon zest over top. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze one half over the fish. Sprinkle with smoked salt and serve with taralli right away.
Pro tips
Pair it Up
Top choice for raw fish dishes is a light, fragrant, non-oaked dry white wine from Friuli, or perhaps a Falanghina from Campania, because of its crisp texture. A dry sparkling wine like Prosecco or cava is festive and balances out the richness of the fish.
Change it Up
Very customizable, scatter finely diced fresh chiles over top or drizzle lightly with aged balsamic vinegar or saba.
Nutritional Highlights
Filled with many heart-healthy fats, antioxidants, and lean proteins, bluefin tuna is a nutritional powerhouse.
Grace Parisi
Culinary Director Grace Parisi is a cook, writer and cookbook author. Formerly the Senior Test Kitchen Editor at Food & Wine Magazine and Executive Food Director at TimeInc Books, her work has appeared in Cooking Light, Health, O Magazine, Epicurious, Fitness, Today, Serious Eats, Martha Stewart, and many more. She’s the author of more than 6 books, among them The Portlandia Cookbook and Get Saucy, which was nominated for a James Beard award for Best Single Subject Cookbook.
