BLT’s Blue Fin Tuna Tartare

By Chef & Owner Laurent Tourondel
(Serves 6)

People are dining out less right now, so we thought we’d spend the next few months featuring the recipes for some of our favorite restaurant dishes.  So now we can cook like the city’s best chefs in our own kitchens…

Ingredients:

• Crispy Shallots:
•   Peanut oil for frying
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
• 2 tablespoons Wondra flour
• Fine sea salt

Dressing:

• 1-1/2 teaspoons wasabi powder
• 3 tablespoons reduced sodium (light) soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons white mirin
• 1 tablespoon mustard oil
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon honey
• Freshly ground black pepper

• 18 ounces fresh tuna, trimmed and cut into 1/8-inch dice
• 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 ripe Haas avocadoes, peeled and diced
• Toasted sliced ciabatta bread

Preparation:
Fry the Shallots Pour the oil into a small saucepan to a depth of about 1 inch.  Heat the oil until a small piece of shallot sizzles rapidly when added to the pan.  Toss the shallots with the flour.  Carefully add the shallots to the oil and fry until golden brown, 30 to 60 seconds.  Remove the shallots with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.  Season with a pinch of salt.

Make the Dressing In a medium bowl, stir together the wasabi powder and 1 tablespoon water to make a smooth paste.  Whisk in the soy sauce, mirin, mustard oil, vinegar, and honey.  Add black pepper to taste.  Set aside.

Make the Tartare Toss the tuna with the olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.  Season the avocadoes with salt and pepper to taste.  

To Serve To mold the tuna into a disk, place a 3-inch tartlet ring or an empty tuna can with the top and bottom lids cut out on a chilled plate.  Fill the ring with a layer of avocado and top with the diced tuna and fried shallots.  Lift off the ring.  Drizzle the sauce around the tuna.
Serve with the ciabatta or homemade potato chips.

BLT Steak
Phone: (212)752-7470
Address: 106 East 57th. Street, nr. Park Ave.