Tuna tartare with chips (+ sparkling wine!)

(image from Food & Wine)

Sea Forager site host and owner of Farmstead Cheeses & Wines, Dave the Wine Merchant shares one of his favorite recipes to pair with sparkling wine. “"Serve this with a good sparkling wine - a Blanc de Noir would do nicely! We feautre an expanded Sparkling Wine selection in both stores, with over FIFTY in stock. Our engaging staff can help you find the right one for your tastes and budget!"

Try this once and I think you’ll want to bring it out for all your holiday parties, beginning with Halloween and on through New Year’s eve, or even Valentine’s Day.  I’m betting it is destined for your permanent recipe book, it is just that good.  Sparkling wine loves the saltiness of both the fish and the chip.  Speaking of chips – be sure to use a fresh bag of Ruffles “Naturals”.  (And no, I don’t own their stock!)

Ingredients
1 Egg yolk (as fresh as possible, this is not cooked except by the acid in the vinegar)
1 tsp peeled and grated ginger
½ Clove garlic, minced
1 ½ tsp Japanese hot mustard (or 1 tsp dry hot mustard)
1 Tbsp Mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine)
1 Tbsp Soy sauce
¼ Cup rice vinegar
1/3 Cup peanut oil
2 Tbsp Sesame oil, combined with the peanut oil, above.
¾ Pound Sushi-grade tuna, cut into 1/8 inch dice.  (if no sushi-grade tuna is available, freeze
regular tuna steaks for several hours to kill any unpleasant parasites)
1 Shallot, finely chopped
2 Tbsp snipped fresh chives
Salt and pepper to taste

1 Bag ridged potato chips (I recommend Ruffles “Naturals”)

Procedure
In a food processor, combine the first six ingredients (up to the soy sauce) and process until smooth.  With the motor running, add the vinegar and when combined, introduce the peanut and sesame oils.  Stop the motor as soon as the oils emulsify.  Cover and refrigerate.

For the tuna, combine the chopped tuna with the shallots, chives, and pinches of salt & pepper.  Mix in enough of the dressing to moisten well, toss again, and add more if needed.  You don’t want the fish to sit in a puddle of dressing at the bottom of the bowl, and you’ll likely have dressing left over – use it as a dip, salad dressing or a topping for grilled fish.

Presentation
When eaten in a casual setting, I enjoy scooping the fish onto my chip taken from a large bowl, or even the bag, depending on the occasion.  More formal gatherings call for the largest of the chips to be placed on a platter, the fish dropped onto them by the teaspoonful, then topped with one or two chives (cut about 2“ from the tip), or a razor-thin lemon wedge.

Cheers!
Dave the Wine Merchant