Elegant and Easy -Tuna Crudo With Peach & Jalapeno

Crudo is my latest in a long string of cooking obsessions. Why? Well first, I love fish, so any dish that starts with it as the main ingredient is ok in my book. Second, and most compellingly, Crudo is one of the easiest things you can make because it is, as the name suggests, raw. All you're really doing is assembling a collection of very high quality ingredients on a plate. Trust me, the payoff in both taste and elegance far exceeds the effort you'll invest.  

       

Tuna Crudo with Peach, Scallion and Jalapeno, Photo: NK 

Case in point, how beautiful is this? 


The idea for today's Crudo came to me after a trip to our local fishmonger. I always quiz the good folks there on what's freshest, and on this particular day, with Crudo in mind, I asked what fish they had on hand that was sushi-grade. The Tuna you see above had just come in and, I was told, promised to be particularly great. The price tag, on the other hand, not so great, but fish is one thing I never skimp on, and the wonderful thing about Crudo is that you don't need very much. 4-6 ounces of high quality Tuna will feed four, so for twelve bucks (compare that to just one 16 dollar or more restaurant appetizer), I walked out a very happy lady.

The rest of the ingredients dawned on me as I pondered some of the flavor profiles I most enjoy with fish. With maki as my inspiration, I decided to use a bit of Jalapeno for spice. Thinking seasonally, some very gorgeous Peaches I'd bought the day before were hitting peak ripeness. I opted to incorporate them (sliced very thinly), for both color and sweetness. I always enjoy balancing sweet and savory. For texture, I julienned Scallions (the white part mostly). They also impart a little bit of zest. 

I cannot resist reiterating that for Crudo (and many other simply conceived fresh dishes) the quality of your ingredients is absolutely key to creating a successful, restaurant quality dish - and for today's recipe, particularly important (besides, of course, the fish) is the olive oil. Choose a fruity or bold extra virgin olive oil depending on your preference. Click HERE to see the one we like (it falls on the bold, medium-bodied side). Sardinian Sea Salt is my new go-to when I'm looking for flavor. Put it all together and you're sure to get raves on this dish that is as visually striking as it is delicious. 

Let's get to it.

Tuna Crudo With Jalapeno & Peaches
Serves 4 

Ingredients: 
4-6 Ounces Sushi Grade Fresh Tuna
1/2 a very ripe Peach, very thinly sliced 
2 Limes, cut in half
1 Jalapeno, seeded and finely minced 
High Quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil
High Quality Sea Salt
2-3 Scallions, the white part cut into very fine strips (as above)
Cilantro Leaves, optional

Method:
To Assemble:
Set out four small serving dishes. 
Squeeze the juice of half a Lime into each dish.
Arrange the Tuna on top as pictured.
Add thin slices of Peach on top.
Sprinkle minced Jalapeno on top.
Scatter a few strips of Scallion as well.
Drizzle it all with a bit of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Finish with a dusting of Sea Salt. 

Optionally garnish with Cilantro and any extra Lime Wedges

Serve right away and enjoy!!