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Tuna Pearl with Sea Urchin Vinaigrette
Recipe by George Calombaris
- Steps
- Ingredients
Steps
- For the salt cod, pound all ingredients in a mortar and pestle except for salt and fish, until coarsely ground. Stir in enough rock salt to completely cover fish. Place mixture into a deep dish. Add fish and completely cover with mixture. Refrigerate for 12 hours.
- Rinse salt mixture from fish, and place in a bowl. Cover with water and refrigerate for 2 hours, changing the water every 30 minutes. Drain well and pat dry with paper towel.
- For the tuna pearls, place milk, lemon, bay leaves, coriander seeds, garlic, 4 thyme sprigs and rosemary in a saucepan set over medium heat. Add salt cod, ensuring it is completely submerged, and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for about 10 minutes or until fish is cooked and flakes easily. Remove with a slotted spoon. Once cool enough to handle, flake into smaller pieces. Set aside to cool completely.
- Meanwhile, place potato in a saucepan of salted water and bring to a simmer. Cook for about 10 minutes or until tender. Strain through a sieve, then push through a fine sieve, mouli or ricer. Set aside to cool completely.
- Meanwhile, for the sea urchin vinaigrette, place oil in a saucepan over low heat. Add eschalots, and cook for about 6 minutes until soft and translucent. Add vanilla seeds and vinegar, and season with salt and pepper. Set aside to cool.
- Slice tuna into neat thin rounds and place in between 2 pieces of baking paper or go-between. Using the smooth side of a meat mallet, gently and carefully, evenly pat tuna into 3-4mm sheets. Refrigerate until needed.
- Combine mashed potato, salt cod, chives, remaining thyme leaves, squeeze lemon juice, pinch of salt, drizzle of olive oil, and strained infused milk in a bowl to desired consistency.
- Place each round tuna sheet onto a large piece of plastic wrap. Place a heaped tablespoon of tuna brandade into the centre. Using the edges of the plastic wrap, bring the edges of the tuna together to enclose brandade to create a neat ball. Tightly tie a knot in the plastic wrap. Refrigerate pearls for 10-15 minutes to firm up, then remove and allow to come to room temperature.
- Meanwhile, to finish vinaigrette, using sharp scissors, make incisions through the nose of the sea urchins, cutting a wide circle out of the shell. Drain any juices. Carefully remove pieces of shell, then using a small scoop or spoon, detach roe from shell and pour into a bowl. Carefully clean roe, discarding any grit.
- Add sea urchin roe, mussels and broad beans to infused oil. Season to taste with lemon juice, salt and pepper.
- To serve, gently heat vinaigrette over low heat until warmed through.
- Remove plastic wrap from pearls, and drizzle with oil to glaze. Place a pearl into the centre of each plate. Spoon vinaigrette around pearls and garnish with edible herbs and flowers.
Notes
*You will need to start this recipe 1-2 days in advance.
*Blue-eye trevalla is also known as blue-eye cod. Alternatively, you can use salt cod for this recipe. Soak store-bought salt cod for 2 days, changing the water 4 times a day.
*Alternatively, you can ask your fishmonger to do this for you, or you can purchase cleaned sea urchin roe.
