japanese tapas: trio of tartare: tuna, salmon, hamachi

there are three components to this dish.  I will give separate directions for each.

I. tuna tartare

ingredients:

sashimi grade tuna

scallions (white part only)

wakame salad

orange tobiko

sesame oil

rice crackers

fine sea salt

directions:

1.  mince up scallions and wakame salad.

2.  finely chop tuna

3.  mix tuna, scallions, wakame salad, orange tobiko, a light dash of sesame oil, and salt to taste. garnish with rice crackers

II. salmon tartare

ingredients:

sashimi grade salmon

Japanese cucumber

ponzu

orange tobiko

chives

directions:

1.  brunoise the Japanese cucumbers. 

2.  finely chop salmon

3.  mix salmon with the cucumbers and tobiko.  add a dash of ponzu to taste and garnish with snipped chives.

III. hamachi tartare

ingredients: 

sashimi grade hamachi

scallions (green part only)

orange tobiko

lemon ponzu

nori

fine sea salt

1.  slice scallions.

2.  finely chop hamachi

3.  mix hamachi with scallions and tobiko. add a dash of ponzu to taste and fine sea salt.  garnish with nori.

japanese tapas: salmon belly, caviar, white truffle oil

ingredients:

sashimi grade salmon belly
caviar - sevruga pictured above
japanese cucumber
kaiware
chives
ponzu
white truffle oil

directions:

1.  slice japanese cucumber super thin.

2.  slice salmon belly into 1/2 cm thick slices.

3.  plating: place salmon belly on a white plate. top each piece with a slice of cucumber and top cucumber
with a nice dab of caviar. spoon ponzu around salmon pieces and drizzle with white truffle oil.  garnish
with chives and kaiware.  serve immediately.

salmon belly amuse bouche, sujiki, fried thai basil, lemongrass oil

ingredients:

sashimi grade salmon belly
sujiki- fresh salmon roe marinaded quickly in sake and soy sauce (or ikura will do)
thai basil
lemongrass stalk
lime ponzu
grapeseed oil
shichimi

directions:

1.  using a mortar and pestle - if you don't have one, use a bowl and the end of a rolling pin - mash up
chopped lemon grass stalk.  marinade lemongrass mashings in grapeseed oil and set aside.

2.  heat up oil in a small saucepan.  fry basil leaves one by one and set aside. careful- the oil really pops when you do this so have an oil mesh screen available.

3.  slice salmon into 1 cm thick slices. strain lemongrass oil.

plating:

1.  get your mise en place ready: salmon, sujiki, fried thai basil, lemongrass oil, lime ponzu, and shichimi.

2.  place salmon on a plate.  top with some sujiki, then top with fried basil leaf.  spoon lime ponzu around
each salmon piece and lightly drizzle lemongrass oil over it. sprinkle with a light dusting of the shichimi
and serve immediately.