Spiced Yellowfin Tuna, Prickly Pear, Cilantro Purée, Jicama, Asian Pear-Wasabi Vinaigrette, and Kaffir Lime Chip

Adapted by StarChefs.com
April 2011
Yield: 4 Servings

INGREDIENTS:

Kaffir Lime Chip
1 cup sushi rice
6 kaffir lime leaves
kosher salt
fryer oil
Spiced Yellowfin Tuna
1 cup ground cinnamon
2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon togarashi spice blend
4 pieces yellowfin tuna, measuring 6 inches long x 1 inch thick x 1 inch wide
kosher salt
Asian Pear-Wasabi Vinaigrette
1 large jicama, peeled
1 Asian pear, peeled and cored
Fresh wasabi, peeled
extra virgin olive oil
Cilantro Purée
3 bunches cilantro
To Assemble and Serve
1 prickly pear, peeled, quartered, seeded, and oblique cut
Wasabi tobiko
micro cilantro

METHOD:

For the Kaffir Lime Chip:
Steam the sushi rice with the kaffir lime leaves until the rice becomes overcooked and mushy. Remove the kaffir lime leaves, put the rice in a blender, and blend until smooth. Spread the rice purée in a thin layer on a food dehydrator sheet, and dehydrate 8 hours (or overnight). Heat a deep fryer filled with oil to 500°F. Remove the lime chips from the dehydrator sheet and fry them until they puff. Remove them from the oil and season with salt.

For the Spiced Yellowfin Tuna:
Mix the ground cinnamon, cloves, and togarashi spice blend. Season the tuna loin with kosher salt, and then roll the loin in the cinnamon mixture. In a hot, cast iron pan, quickly sear all sides of the tuna loin, approximately 3 seconds per side. Refrigerate the tuna loin. Once it’s chilled, slice the tuna into 1-inch squares, and the quarter each square.

For the Asian Pear-Wasabi Vinaigrette:
Using a Japanese slicer, make nine thin sheets of jicama. Cut the sheets into 6-inch x 2-inch rectangles, and reserve for plating. Small dice the remaining jicama. Grate the Asian pear on a wasabi grater, and put into a bowl with the jicama. Grate the wasabi root on a wasabi grater, and add it to the pear-jicama mixture a little at a time until the desired level of heat is achieved. Add a splash of extra virgin olive oil.

For the Cilantro Purée:
Blanch the cilantro in boiling water, and shock it in an ice bath. Blend the cilantro in a blender until smooth.

To Assemble and Serve:
Plate 1 sheet of Jicama. Plate 6 small squares of Spiced Yellowfin Tuna on the jicama, staggering them. Put a dollop of Cilantro Purée on the jicama opposite each tuna square. Plate 3 pieces of Prickly Pear running down the middle of the jicama sheet, so the Spiced Yellowfin Tuna and Cilantro Purée are sandwiching the pear. Spoon the Asian Pear-Wasabi Vinaigrette over each component, spreading it evenly until you get the desired taste. Place 2 more pieces of Jicama on top. Repeat the above steps until you have 2 full layers of components. Garnish the top layer with wasabi tobiko, micro cilantro, and Kaffir Lime Chips.