Lemon-cured Tuna with Herb Salad

Name: Lemon-cured Tuna with Herb Salad
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Ingredients: 1 x 300g piece sashimi-grade tuna; 2 sprigs betel leaves; 1 tablespoon Sweet Fish Sauce; 1 tablespoon crushed roasted peanuts; Steamed jasmine rice, for serving; Pickled minced chilli, for serving; Lemon Marinade (lemon, fish sauce, sugar, salt, white pepper); 1 handful bean sprouts, tailed (about 60g); 1 bunch saw leaf coriander, sliced; 2 tablespoons sliced Thai basil leaves; 2 sprigs rice paddy herb; 1 red shallot, deep-fried; 1 clove garlic, deep-fried; 1 teaspoon fried garlic oil; 1 teaspoon fried garlic oil 1 teaspoon roasted rice powder

One of my favourite Vietnamese dishes is bo tai chanh, a salad of beef cured in lemon juice – and the same method works just as well with tuna. Whatever protein you use, it’s a very quick dish to prepare once you have all the ingredients on hand, and it’s great as a starter, main course, or part of a shared feast. As the acid of the lemon ‘cooks’ the fish, slicing it thinly is important, so sharpen your knife before you start. It’s also important to use sashimi-grade fish as it is still technically being eaten raw. If raw fish isn’t your thing, stir-fry it for a few seconds to just sear it, then add it to the marinade. This simple salad relies on a few key flavours, including spicy white pepper. So be sure the pepper is freshly ground and be generous – either measure the ½ teaspoon or give it a good 8–10 grinds of the pepper mill. Try this lemon-cured tuna with a glass of aged Hunter semillion. The best is Tyrrell’s Vat 1 which is a great match for the complex flavours of fish sauce and Asian herbs in this salad.

Serves 2 as part of a shared meal

Ingredients

1 x 300g piece sashimi-grade tuna (10½oz)
2 sprigs betel leaves
1 tablespoon (20ml) Nuoc Mam Cham
(Sweet Fish Sauce)
1 tablespoon crushed roasted peanuts
Pickled minced chilli, for serving (optional)
Vietnamese pickled vegetables, for serving (optional)
Steamed jasmine rice, for serving

Lemon Marinade

1½ large juicy lemons, juiced and strained
2 teaspoons fish sauce (10ml)
1 tablespoon castor sugar (18g superfine)
½ teaspoon crushed salt flakes
½ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper

Herb Salad

1 handful bean sprouts, tailed (about 60g)
1 bunch saw leaf coriander, sliced
2 tablespoons sliced Thai basil leaves
2 sprigs rice paddy herb
1 red shallot, deep-fried
1 clove garlic, deep-fried
1 teaspoon garlic oil (5ml)
1 teaspoon roasted rice powder
(see video below)

Method

Trim any visible sinew from the tuna and discard it. Place tuna in a sealed bag in the freezer for about 1 hour to firm it up (taking care not to leave it so long that it freezes solid).
Meanwhile, make Lemon Marinade: combine all ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
Make Herb Salad: combine all ingredients in a large bowl and set aside.
Finely slice tuna, mix through Lemon Marinade and set aside for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, arrange betel leaves on a platter.
Drain tuna, discarding the Lemon Marinade. Toss through the Herb Salad and arrange on top of the betel leaves.
Drizzle Sweet Fish Sauce over the top and sprinkle with peanuts.
Eat the lemon-cured tuna and salad wrapped in the betel leaves with pickled chilli or Vietnamese pickled vegetables and rice on the side.