Antipasto II: Seafood

I'm talking raw today baby. I love raw food, especially raw seafood. Crudo, tartara, carpaccio, I feed right into that goodness. Those are some Italian terms which mostly describe the cut of the fish or meat. Crudo is a semi free form cut similar to a suhimi cut. Tartara are small cubes while carpacio is a very thin slice, I'm talking paper thin. 

The two dishes I am featuring today are tuna tartar and oysters and clams on the half shell.

Tuna tartar with celery, capers, tomatoes, and red onion. 

 When making tartar consider these six elements to create a composed and balanced dish: 

1. Fat

2. Acid

3. Salt

4. Texture

5. Color

6. Spice

Remember that a lot of fish are fatty naturally so be mindful of how much fat you use and what kind. Consider the flavor and texture of the fat. I used lemon infused extra virgin olive oil in mine. It's bright but subtle and adds a healthy shiny coat.  A good tartar has a balanced level of acidity and should not be overpowering. Acid will also cook the fish so you want to add a small amount and add it at the very end. Remember, tartar is not ceviche. With texture, consider the size of your fish and the size of your veggies. I like a contrast between the two so I do a medium dice on the tuna and a fine dice on the veg.

When you break a dish down to its elements you can see how easy it is to be creative and have fun with it!

Oysters and clams on the half shell.

I'll post a video on how to shuck oysters at a later date but this is the finished product. I served it with a supreme of lemon, extra virgin, cracked black pepper, and the oyster and clam liquor. Do not loose the liquor inside the shell, that's your golden ticket.

The less you process these dishes the better. They are meant to be eaten raw so the essence of each ingredient can be appreciated. Full flavor, full nutrition, that's what I'm about.