Tuna Carpaccio

Prev Recipe Next Recipe

Let us know what you think Please fill out this brief survey to help us understand how we can improve your experience

The texture of yellowfin tuna lends itself well to carpaccio because its lower fat content prevents it from becoming mushy, thus helping it keep its firmness during the pounding process. Once you start to dress this dish, go very fast and serve it immediately, as the acidity of the lemon juice begins to cook the fish and change the flavour of the tuna.

YIELDS

1H 20 Mins

Ingredients

4 pieces (4 ounces each) sushi-quality yellowfin tuna, cut 1/2 inch thick
Fine sea salt and freshly ground white pepper
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons thinly sliced fresh chives
1 lemon, halved and seeded
Toasted baguette slices for serving

Directions

Cover a work surface, such as a counter or table, with a large sheet of plastic wrap. Place one piece of tuna in the center and cover it with another large plastic sheet.
Flatten the tuna with a meat pounder (or a heavy-bottomed saucepan), using a fluid motion that combines hitting the tuna in the center and sliding the surface of the pounder over the fish, pressing it outward. Continue pounding and pressing out the tuna until it forms a skinny, even round, about nine inches in diameter.
Place an eight-inch round plate, bowl, or cake pan to use as a cutting guide over the tuna (still keeping the fish covered with plastic) and use a sharp knife to cut through the tuna and both layers of plastic, resulting in an eight-inch round. Leave the plastic on the tuna and transfer it to a sheet pan. Repeat with each portion of tuna. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. (The tuna can be pounded and cut up to a few hours ahead; cover the entire tray with plastic and refrigerate.)
When ready to serve, pull the top plastic sheet off one tuna round and place the tuna on the center of a large dinner plate, plastic side up. Remove the plastic from the top of the tuna. Repeat with the remaining three tuna rounds.
Season each round with sea salt and white pepper. Dip a broad pastry brush in the olive oil and coat each piece of tuna generously with oil. Sprinkle each portion with the chives, then squeeze lemon juice. Wipe the edge of each plate with a towel. Serve immediately, with the toasted baguette slices on a separate plate alongside. Enjoy!

Excerpted from Seafood Simple by Eric Ripert. Copyright © 2023 by Eric Ripert. Photographs by Nigel Parry. Published by Appetite, by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.