 | Hiramasa CrudoChef Isaac Mendoza of Kid Sister | Phoenix, AZ |
Apricots and olives are a combination we see in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cooking. I thought it would be fun to translate it into crudo form. Incorporating The Perfect Purée Apricot Purée into the jam really helps bring a brightness to the dish that balances other strong flavors coming from the crispy garlic and tapenade—creating a perfect bite of sweet, salty, spicy, and bitter.
Ingredients for Ginger-Apricot Jam:
Yield: 1 pint
• 300 g. dried apricot
• 50 g. rice wine vinegar
• 150 g. granulated sugar
• 100 g. water, plus more for blending
• 113 g. The Perfect Purée Apricot Puree, thawed
• ½-inch knob ginger, grated
• ¼ tsp. kosher salt
Ingredients for Green Olive Tapenade:
Yield: 1 pint
• 1 qt. pitted Castelvetrano olives
• 2 shallots, diced
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 10 cloves confit garlic
• ¼ cup chopped parsley
• ¼ cup chopped mint
• zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 6 sliced guindilla peppers
• ½ tsp. kosher salt
• ⅛ tsp. black pepper
Ingredients for Crispy Garlic:
Yield: 1 pint
• 1 pint peeled whole garlic
• 1 pint neutral oil
Ingredients for Cured Hiramasa:
• 1 yellowtail fillet
• 50/50 cure (equal parts by weight granulated sugar and kosher salt)
To Assemble and Serve:
• 5 slices cured hiramasa
• crispy garlic
• green olive tapenade
• ginger-apricot jam
• lemon cheeks
• sumac
• maldon salt
• olive oil
• picked dill
Method for Ginger-Apricot Jam:
Place all ingredients except dried apricots in a saucepot and bring to a boil over medium heat. Once sugar has dissolved, add the apricots and reduce to a low simmer. Cook until the liquid reduces to a syrup and apricots plump from absorbing the liquid. While warm, transfer to a blender and blend until smooth, adding small amounts of warm water if needed to loosen. Cool and transfer to a piping bag or squeeze bottle. Refrigerate up to 1 week.
Method for Green Olive Tapenade:
In a food processor, combine all ingredients and pulse until incorporated but still textured. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate up to 3 days.
Method for Crispy Garlic:
Finely chop garlic in a food processor. Transfer to a saucepan and cover completely with neutral oil. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly to prevent sticking. Cook until light golden brown, then remove from heat and transfer to a heatproof container to finish cooking. Once cooled, the garlic should be dark golden and crisp. Store refrigerated up to 1 week.
Method for Cured Hiramasa:
Mix sugar and salt to make the cure. Generously coat the yellowtail fillet and place on a rack set over a pan to drain. Refrigerate 20 minutes, then rinse with cold water and pat dry. Return to the refrigerator to air dry, then slice against the grain to desired thickness.
To Assemble and Serve:
Pipe five dots of Ginger-Apricot Jam onto a plate, spaced evenly. Place a slice of hiramasa on each dot. Top each slice with a small amount of Green Olive Tapenade. Fill negative space with Crispy Garlic. Squeeze lemon juice over the fish, drizzle with olive oil, and season with Maldon salt. Finish with a dusting of sumac and a few sprigs of dill.