Recipe Courtesy of:
Frank Pabst, Executive Chef
Blue Water Cafe + Raw Bar
www.bluewatercafe.net
Spice-crusted tuna
1 Tbsp Sichuan peppercorns
1 Tbsp coriander seeds
1 Tbsp black peppercorns
1 Tbsp fennel seeds
14 oz albacore tuna loin
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup cilantro shoots or cilantro leaves, chiffonaded
Salsa
2 thin slices pineapple
dash of dark rum
3 tomatillos, finely diced
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and finely diced
1/2 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely diced
1 Tbsp crushed pink peppercorns
1 Tbsp red onion, finely diced
1 tsp freshly grated ginger
1 green onion, thinly sliced
Juice of 1 lime
dash of olive oil
Coconut cream
1 can coconut milk, unstirred (5 oz)
Zest of 1 lime
METHOD
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Spice-crusted tuna
Grind Sichuan peppercorns, coriander seeds, black peppercorns and fennel seeds coarsely in a clean coffee grinder, then transfer them to a plate.
Season albacore loin with salt, then roll it in the spices, pressing down on the fish to get a thin coating of spices on all sides.
Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan on high heat. Add albacore and sear it for about 15 seconds on each side. The tuna should remain rare in the centre. Remove the tuna from the pan and place it on a paper towel to absorb any excess oil. Refrigerate immediately.
Once chilled, wrap the tuna very tightly in several layers of plastic wrap, which will make slicing the fish easier.
Salsa
Preheat a grill to high, then grill pineapple slices until grill marks are visible on each side. Remove the pineapple to a dish and add rum. Refrigerate the dish for at least 10 minutes until chilled.
Cut out and discard the core from the pineapple and chop the pineapple into small dice, reserving all the juices. Add the remaining ingredients and season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate the salsa until ready to serve. Will keep refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 7 days.
Coconut cream
Strain coconut milk through a gold tea filter, reserving the thick coconut cream. Whisk this cream with lime zest and refrigerate until ready to serve.
TO SERVE
With a long, thin-bladed knife, slice tuna as thinly as possible and place five slices in a circle on each of four plates. Discard the plastic wrap. Season the tuna with coarse sea salt and sprinkle with two tablespoons of the pineapple-tomatillo salsa and some of the marinade. Drizzle the coconut cream on top and finish with cilantro.
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