Newsflash – Tuna Tartare “Beets” Death!
1st Course: Beet and Tuna Tartare with Wasabi Cream
2nd Course: NY Strip Steak with Zucchini Ribbons and Chimichurri Sauce
Tuna tartare isn’t dead! YAY. I’ll be honest. I have to give credit where credit is due. The one time I have seen this delicious combination of beets and tuna was 3 years ago at the Lark Creek Steakhouse in downtown San Francisco under chef Jeremy Bearman – who incidentally is the new chef at Rouge Tomate NYC. Jeremy sent this out to me between courses of chorizo butter (omg yes I know) and the most sexy ribeye and luxurious sauces, so remembering the exact flavors were impossible to recollect… but I *did* remember something:
It started with the deep maroon color. I mentioned to the server that the colors were beautiful and the cream had such a distinct shade of green from the wasabi paste – he waited for me to taste it first before he told me the basic ingredients: beets and sashimi grade tuna. It blew my mind.
So, when I remembered I had beets waiting for me at home, I decided to stop by Pure Food Fish (they’re a bit pricier, but they’ve never let me down) and grab a small chunk of tuna and give it a shot. I mean, if I struck out, I’d be out $8, right? RIGHT. ADVENTURE COOKING AHOY. LOL.
Beet Component
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Take 3 beets, cut off tops with a paring knife, sprinkle with Kosher salt and pepper and individually wrap in foil. Place beets on baking sheet and bake for at least one hour, or until beets are fork tender (trust me, it’ll be at least an hour). Pull out of oven to cool and use a paring knife to take off the thin layer of skin. Carefully slice into 1/4 inch cubes.Tuna Component
8oz. of sashimi grade tuna, cut into 1/4 inch cubes and set aside. 15 minutes before serving, add 1 tablespoon of dark soy sauce and carefully mix with your hands or a spoon.Wasabi Cream Topping
Take 2 teaspoons of wasabi paste and 1 cup of ice cold heavy whipping cream and beat until you see soft peaks from your whisk. You may have to play around with the ratios since different people have varying degrees of wasabi tolerance – and that’s saying it politely. Hee hee.
Right before you plate, ccaaarrreeefully mix the beets and tuna together. You’ll notice that the beets will impart a bit of its color onto the fish cubes. Spoon into serving vessel and then top with wasabi cream. Serve with slices of lemon!
The sweetness of the beets butts up right against the salty soy and freshness from the tuna. The wasabi cream reminds the brain that each bite is somehow familiar… but the overall experience is new.
As for the steak and chimichurri sauce, you can find them here and here (I subbed mint for cilantro for the sauce). For the zucchini, I just took long slices of the squash with a veggie peeler and boiled them for a minute and tossed with olive oil, Kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper!
Stop eating boring tuna -> stop having a boring life (thx Clint!) LOL.
YAY for great color contrasting plating!!! 
~Spec
