Within the rich national and international recipe book, there are dishes that become trendy and turn into true ‘must-haves’ both on restaurant menus and at home. Undoubtedly, one of the recipes that has stood out most in our gastronomy in recent years, is tuna tartare.
It is a fresh, fun, delicious dish with many possibilities for adaptation to the different tastes of the consumer. Furthermore, it allows the consumption of a fish like bluefin tuna in a very different way from the usual way in the Mediterranean diet. And best of all: it is practically irresistible for any diner.
However, to succeed with this dish, it is essential to know exactly how to make tuna tartare like a true chef. There are small details that can make the difference between a mediocre tuna tartare recipe and one worthy of a Michelin Star.
From the choice of ingredients to how you prepare them, everything contributes to creating a dish that has as many versions and variations, as there are chefs in our country. At Chao Pescao, we offer you the most basic recipe to ensure success and include some extra tips to give your recipe a touch of identity.
It’s important to use good-quality, fresh tuna. If you have any doubts, you can refer to our article on the differences between tuna and bonito (albacore).
The ingredients you need
Tuna tartare is such a simple recipe that even those who are not such fans of cooking can successfully prepare it. As our chefs explain, the key is to opt for high-quality raw materials. Here is the list of ingredients to prepare it for four diners:
- Between three hundred and five hundred grammes of fresh bluefin tuna.
- 2 large avocados at their right level of ripeness.
- ½ onion (preferably a shallot, sweet onion, or red onion).
- Lime juice.
- Soy sauce.
- Oil and sesame seeds.
- Hot sauce (whichever you prefer and it’s optional).
- Oil and salt.
How to make tuna tartare step by step
A knife, a cutting board, and a couple of bowls. That’s all you need to prepare an excellent tuna tartare. As for the time, with just 40 minutes (due to marination times), you can have the recipe ready to taste.
First of all, you need to chop the tuna. It’s essential to chop it against the direction of the fish’s fibres; this way, the structure is better maintained, and the texture will be much more interesting.
The size of the tuna chunks depends on each chef’s preferences, but a small size, allowing several pieces of fish to be taken into the mouth each time and chewed comfortably, is most common.
The second step is to marinate the tuna chunks in a mixture of soy sauce, sesame oil, hot sauce, and salt. It should be well soaked in this mixture for at least 30 minutes. Meanwhile, you can take the opportunity to follow the rest of the recipe.
It’s time to chop the onion (into very fine pieces) and the avocado into pieces of a similar size to the tuna. As for the latter ingredient, it’s usually marinated in lime juice, with oil and salt, to prevent it from darkening.
With all of this, everything needed to assemble the dish is now ready. The typical presentation involves placing the avocado on the first layer, followed by the tuna with the onion, previously mixed together, and finally, garnishing it with a few sesame seeds.
In this regard, most dining establishments assemble this preparation using a ring mould, although in recent times, other options are emerging, such as creating a tuna quenelle on a bed of avocado placed on top of a toast or a piece of coca bread, for example.
A gourmet touch for your tuna tartare
In a gastronomic country like ours, tuna tartare is increasingly being reinterpreted and reinvented. That’s why we offer you some tricks to incorporate into your recipe, if you’d prefer to.
- Play with other citrus fruits: add orange or tangerine zest to the soy marinade to add some extra and unique aromas to the bluefin tuna.
- Add salt without using salt: replace salt—carefully, as soy sauce is salty—with other seasonings. You can use capers, crumbled salted cod, or add roe or caviar. It will give a more interesting, marine touch.
- Open up to other ingredients: mix avocado with mango, add some grilled pineapple, experiment with seaweed or pickles… Dare to try different combinations to completely personalize your recipe.
These are the main secret tips and tricks from our chefs when preparing tuna tartare. The recipe for tuna tartare is limitless, and there are many options for enhancing or changing this dish that has already become one of our country’s popular recipes.
We look forward to welcoming you to Chao Pescao so that you can try the tuna tartare recipe from our menu, get some ideas and enjoy our concept of a fish market-style kitchen and restaurant.
