Tuna Ceviche with Charred Pineapple and Bitter Greens
South American ceviche meets Mexican Al Pastor
Adapted from Bobby Flay: Chapter One
This is pretty good (everybody liked it), but I found it a bit sweet - maybe don't reduce the pineapple juice so much? Also, needed more heat to counteract the sweetness
Ingredients
Ceviche Sauce:
- 4 cups pineapple juice
- 1 cove garlic, finely chopped or grated
- 1 teaspoon ginger, finely chopped or grated
- 2 Tablesppons soy sauce
- 1 chile, finely chopped
- 1/8 teaspoon aji rocoto paste
- 2 Tablespoons tangerine juice
- 2 Tablespoons lime juice
- 2 Tablespoons yuzu juice
- 1/2 teaspoon honey
- 1/4 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
Charred Pineapple:
- 2 (1/2 inch) crosscut rings from a peeled & cored pinapple
- Neutral oil (avocado, canola)
- Kosher salt
To Serve:
- 12 oz yellowtail (or any fresh tuna), cut into 1/2" dice
- pickled chiles
- 1/4 cup baby bitter greens (mustard greens, dandelion, arugula, cress)
- crispy wonton strips
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced chives
- Good quality olive oil (finishing oil)
Instructions
Ceviche Sauce:
- In a large saute pan, bring the pineapple juice to a boil. Reduce the heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until it thickens and reduces to about 3/4 cup, about 1 hour
- Remove from the heat and transfer to a non-reactive bowl
- Add the garlic, ginger, soy sauce, chile, rocoto, fruit juices, honey and sesame oil and whisk to combine
- Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour to allow the falvours to meld
Charred Pineapple:
- Heat grill to high
- Brush the pineapple on both sides with oil
- Grill until golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side
- Remove, season with salt, and let cool
- When cool enough to handle, cut into 1/2" cubes, transfer to a plate and set aside
To Serve:
- In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup of the ceviche sauce, the yellowtail and the charred pineapple
- Toss gently to combine and allow to marinate for 5 minutes
- Divide among 4 bowls and spoon 3 Tablespoons of sauce over each
- Garnish with pickled chile, greens, wonton strips, chives and a drizzle of finishing oil
Notes
- Do not use yuzu concentrate. If you don't have yuzu, replace with (meyer) lemon and/or grapefruit
- aji rocoto is a spicy South American paste. Replace with any kind of spicy paste (sriracha, sambal oelek, gochujang, harissa etc.)