NC Wildlife Yellowfin Tuna Crudo Recipe and Notes as seen in NC Wildlife Magazine

I love fresh tuna, right off the dock to the plate, with absolutely no heat at all.  Summer is the ideal time to serve raw fish in my opinion, you can highlight it with all of the beautiful ingredients just coming forth for the warmer months, and our NC fishermen and women are some of the best in the world.  This dish takes extremely fresh ingredients, in fact the “oldest” ingredient on this dish was only twenty-four hours old, and that was the fish.  When eating raw fish it is imperative that the fish be no more than 72 hours old and kept under refrigeration from the time it was harvested for safety reasons, this is an excellent opportunity to open a line of communication with your local fishmonger or fisherperson.   Yellowfin tuna and Blackfin when available are far more sustainable and no less delicious options, than the more popular Bluefin, which is akin to eating a Panda in terms of sustainability.  The Yellowfin used for this recipe was sustainably line caught off the coast of Beaufort, NC and has a sweet almost melon like flavor that is perfectly balanced by the wild ingredients that accompany it.  All of these wild ingredients can be found in yards and neighborhoods from the mountains to the coast, if you don’t have access to foraging areas substitutions can be purchased at most grocery stores.  Prepare this dish yourself for a taste of the incomparable NC coast.

NC Yellowfin Tuna Crudo with Wild Garnishes

Yields: 2 Portions

Ingredients:

6 Oz.                      Yellowfin Tuna

8 Each                   Violets

8 Each                   Allium Flowers

10 Each                 Forsythia Flowers

2 T                          Miso Master Tamari

1 Pint                     Extra Virgin Olive Oil

8 Each                   Wild Field Garlic Tops

6 Each                   Bittercress Tops

1 t                           OBX Sea Salt      

1 Pint                     Whole Harvest Canola Oil

10 Each                 Henbit Tops

10 Each                 Purple Dead Nettle Tops

Method of Preparation:

1.       Harvest wild ingredients: violets, forsythia, bittercress, field garlic tops, allium flowers, henbit tops, and purple dead nettle tops.  Was thoroughly and allow to dry on paper towels.

2.        Heat canola oil to 300F in a small pot.

3.       Fry henbit and purple dead nettle tops for 15-20 seconds or until crispy.  Remove from oil and allow to dry on paper towels.

4.       In a bar blender combine field garlic tops with olive oil and blend thoroughly, at least 1 minute on high, use 2T finished oil, reserve the remainder in the refrigerator for up to 2 months, for later use.

5.       Slice tuna in slices as thin as you can (ideally 1/16-1/8 inch slices) with a single pull of a long knife, not serrated.

6.       Arrange tuna in a shingle pattern on the plates.

7.       Top tuna with the following in this order: bittercress, forsythia, allium flowers, violets, crispy henbit and purple dead nettle, OBX sea salt, Miso Master tamari, and finish with field garlic oil.

8.       Serve cold and enjoy as an appetizer, as always it has got to be NC!