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With persimmons back, I wanted to put them to the test in a recipe I had in mind.
I love this dish for its play of textures and flavors: bluefin tuna, raw in the center under a furikake crust, a crunchy pickle next to the tender fish, and the acidity of a lime ponzu gel to balance the sweetness of the fruit and give it depth.
Tataki is a specialty in Japan, where cooks sear the fish over a straw fire so only the surface cooks. Here, I coat the tuna blocks in homemade furikake (a Japanese seasoning blend) made with shiitake, sesame, and nori.
For the pickle, I chose to pair the persimmon with what the French Caribbean calls piment végétarien, a seasoning pepper. It has the aromatic bouquet of the region’s chiles without the heat.
For the lime ponzu gel, I start with a kombu and dried shiitake broth. I set the broth with agar-agar, then blend it into a fluid gel to dot over the tataki.
A few notes before you start
Make sure to buy sashimi-grade bluefin tuna cut into even blocks for uniform searing. Putting the tuna in the freezer may seem odd, but it stops the cooking and keeps the center raw.
Pick persimmons that are still firm, like Sharon fruit or Fuyu, which you can eat crunchy. An overripe persimmon turns jelly-like and won’t hold a brunoise.
Be sure to wait the full 3 to 4 minutes before adding the lime-vinegar mixture: when you heat agar-agar with an acidic ingredient, it loses some of its gelling power.
AuthorFatouCategoryÀ supprimer – Appetizers, À supprimer – Breakfast/Brunch, À supprimer – Main dishes, À supprimer – Salad, Appetizers, Breakfast/Brunch, Healthy, Main dishes, SaladsDifficultyBeginner
The day before, soak the 8 g (¼ oz) of shiitake in the cold water.
Strain into a saucepan and add the kombu. Heat gently and remove the kombu as soon as the first tiny bubbles form on the bottom.
Let cool, then measure out 80 g (⅓ cup).
Grate the zest of the lime and mix it with the lime juice and rice vinegar. Steep for 30 minutes, then strain.
In a small saucepan, combine the 80 g (⅓ cup) of broth, the soy sauce, and the rice syrup.
Immediately whisk in the agar while the mixture is still cold. Bring to a boil while whisking, then let barely simmer for 1 minute.
Wait 3 to 4 minutes, then pour in the lime-vinegar mixture and stir.
Immediately pour into a cold dish and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Cut into cubes and blend with an immersion blender until you have a smooth, lump-free fluid gel.
Dissolve the rice syrup and salt in the water, then add the vinegar.
Peel the persimmons and cut them into brunoise.
Cut the peppers into brunoise as well.
Add the persimmon and pepper brunoise to the liquid and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Put the sesame seeds in a cold, dry skillet and toast over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring.
Immediately transfer to a cold plate.
In a very hot skillet, toast each nori sheet on both sides until brittle and green. Crumble by hand.
Using a coffee grinder or blender, grind the 6 g (¼ oz) of shiitake into a powder.
Mix the shiitake powder, crumbled nori, sesame seeds, salt, and sugar to make furikake (a Japanese seasoning blend). Transfer to a large plate.
Make the binder by thinning the miso with the water and rice syrup.
Preheat a skillet over high heat, add the oil, and sear the tuna blocks for 15 seconds per side.
Immediately chill on a wire rack in the freezer for 8 minutes.
Using a pastry brush, coat each tuna block with the binder.
Roll in the furikake, pressing lightly.
Drain the persimmon-pepper pickle. Spoon 2 to 3 tablespoons onto each plate and press into a circle.
Slice the tuna blocks and divide among the plates.
Dot the tataki slices with the lime ponzu fluid gel.
Ingredients
Directions
The day before, soak the 8 g (¼ oz) of shiitake in the cold water.
Strain into a saucepan and add the kombu. Heat gently and remove the kombu as soon as the first tiny bubbles form on the bottom.
Let cool, then measure out 80 g (⅓ cup).
Grate the zest of the lime and mix it with the lime juice and rice vinegar. Steep for 30 minutes, then strain.
In a small saucepan, combine the 80 g (⅓ cup) of broth, the soy sauce, and the rice syrup.
Immediately whisk in the agar while the mixture is still cold. Bring to a boil while whisking, then let barely simmer for 1 minute.
Wait 3 to 4 minutes, then pour in the lime-vinegar mixture and stir.
Immediately pour into a cold dish and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Cut into cubes and blend with an immersion blender until you have a smooth, lump-free fluid gel.
Dissolve the rice syrup and salt in the water, then add the vinegar.
Peel the persimmons and cut them into brunoise.
Cut the peppers into brunoise as well.
Add the persimmon and pepper brunoise to the liquid and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Put the sesame seeds in a cold, dry skillet and toast over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring.
Immediately transfer to a cold plate.
In a very hot skillet, toast each nori sheet on both sides until brittle and green. Crumble by hand.
Using a coffee grinder or blender, grind the 6 g (¼ oz) of shiitake into a powder.
Mix the shiitake powder, crumbled nori, sesame seeds, salt, and sugar to make furikake (a Japanese seasoning blend). Transfer to a large plate.
Make the binder by thinning the miso with the water and rice syrup.
Preheat a skillet over high heat, add the oil, and sear the tuna blocks for 15 seconds per side.
Immediately chill on a wire rack in the freezer for 8 minutes.
Using a pastry brush, coat each tuna block with the binder.
Roll in the furikake, pressing lightly.
Drain the persimmon-pepper pickle. Spoon 2 to 3 tablespoons onto each plate and press into a circle.
Slice the tuna blocks and divide among the plates.
Dot the tataki slices with the lime ponzu fluid gel.