Tuna Tartare From The Fairmont San Francisco

The recipe for tuna tartare yields one appetizer per ingredient set. The recipes for the pickled red onions and lemon vinaigrette are created to yield a large amount, particularly for large groups and parties.

Tuna Tartare

Ingredients:

1/2 cup tuna, diced
1 tablespoon cucumber, diced (no seed or skin)
1 tablespoon pickled red onion (recipe follows)
2 tablespoons avocado, diced
1/4 cup watercress (recommendation: Sausalito watercress)
lemon vinaigrette, enough to coat tuna (recipe follows)
4 wonton skins, halved, fried (optional garnish)
1 teaspoon parsley oil (optional garnish)

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, mix tuna with lemon vinaigrette.

2. Put tuna and vinaigrette mix in ring mold.

3. Layer avocado on top, followed by the pickled red onion and cucumber.

4. Next, mix the watercress with lemon vinaigrette and put on top of the mold as the salad.

5. Add fried wonton skins and parsley oil for garnish (optional).

Pickled Red Onions

Ingredients:

12 3/4 cups rice wine vinegar
4 cups sake
4 cups mirin
4 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup salt
4 red onions

Directions:

1. Peel and slice red onions 1/2 inch thick, and place the sliced onions in a steel or glass bowl.

2. Bring rice wine vinegar, sake and mirin to a boil to dissolve the sugar and salt.

3. Pour boiling liquid onto the onions until they are completely covered.

4. Refrigerate for 24 hours, and then remove onions from liquid and chop to desired size.

Lemon Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

2 cups lemon juice (fresh lemons)
1 cup honey
6 cups salad oil
salt (to taste)

Directions:

1. In a blender, first add the lemon juice and honey blend.

2. Slowly drizzle the salad oil to emulsify, then hand-whisk the salt.