One of my absolute favourite things in the world is any kind of dish involving cured fish. More commonly, I have had sashimi and ceviche but after watching an episode of Jamie Cooks Italy, I just knew that my new found love would be Crudo. ‘Crudo’ in Italian means raw and paired with citrus or other acidic ingredients like tomato it is like eating a whole plate of heaven. Crudo is the perfect starter to any Italian inspired meal as it is light, refreshing and the perfect palate cleanser before you hit some serious Italian cuisine. I made this trio for my Husbands birthday dinner and it was an absolute stand out hit.
The Crudo can be eaten as a trio or you could pick your favourite flavour and just serve one of them. It does require Sashimi grade fish, which is expensive but a little goes a long way and you may want to get your fishmonger to slice the fish for you if you are not too confident that you can slice it thin enough. I fed 4 adults (which included 3 strapping males) this for entree with crusty bread and it was more than enough. I would suggest about 150gm of fish per person, which would cost you around $35 in total. I also like to think about what it would cost you to eat the same at a restaurant and I do believe you would be way more out of pocket.
Prep time: 20 minutes
$$ Getting up there, dollar wise
Serves 4
For the Salmon Crudo:
200gm of Sashimi Grade Salmon, finely sliced
1 apple cheek, skin on, julienned and cut into tiny cubes
1/2 a long red chilli, seeds removed, julienned and cut into tiny cubes
Grated rind of 1/2 a lemon
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
Good quality extra virgin olive oil
Baby micro herbs of finely shredded mint for garnish
A little sea salt
For the Kingfish Crudo:
200gm of Sashimi Grade Kingfish, finely sliced
Approximately a quarter of a baby fennel bulb, shaved with a mandolin
1/2 tsp of fennel seeds, ground slightly in a mortar and pestle
1/2 tsp of chilli flakes,
Grated rind of 1/2 an orange
Juice of 1/2 an orange
Dill sprigs for garnish
Extra virgin olive oil (good quality, of course)
A little sea salt
For the Tuna Crudo:
200gm of Sashimi Grade Tuna, finely sliced
1 small ripe tomato, grated directly onto the fish, skins discarded
Baby basil leaves
Extra virgin olive oil
Cracked pepper and a little sea salt
Crudo really needs to be prepared just before eating, otherwise the citrus and acid will cook the fish, ruining the flavour and buttery like consistency.
To prepare the Crudo, lay the thinly sliced fish in a single layer on 3 plates and top with the various toppings. Drizzle all of them with a good lug of oil and sprinkle the toppings evenly so that every mouthful is a burst of flavour. Serve with crusty Italian bread…..
Leftover fennel? You may like to cook this…..
https://emsfoodforfriends.com.au/linguine-with-sausage-fennel-roast-tomatoes/
