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Farm to Table

Yuzu Ponzu Torched Ahi Tuna with Sunchoke

By March 30, 2022No Comments

As seen on CJFC Kamloops Midday Show. To watch the full video including a cooking demonstration, the link is provided for your convenience after the recipe.

Enjoy and happy cooking!

Ingredients
Yuzu Ponzu liquid ingredients
500g ahi tuna loin
70g yuzu ponzu
1 sheet nori
20g soy sauce
15g orange juice
1 tbsp black sesame seeds
1 tbsp white sesame seeds

Sunchoke puree
300g sunchokes
1 bay leaf
1 thyme sprig
20g olive oil
1 orange juiced
100g cold butter

Method
Torched tuna

  1. Cut the tuna into ½ inch wide pieces, set aside.
  2. Mix the yuzu ponzu, soy sauce and orange juice together, add in the cut tuna lengths into the liquid, should clover the tuna if not flip over halfway throw. Let soak for 20 minutes to soak up the flavor.
  3. Take out the tuna, and place on a wire rack on a baking tray, use a blow torch and torch all the sides of the tuna, if you don’t have a blow torch you can use a cast iron pan or a heavy bottom pan, heat the pan up till it is almost smoking add in a tsp of oil and sear the tuna very quickly on all sides. Set the tuna a side and let rest for 3-5 minutes.

Method
Sunchoke puree

  1. Set one small piece of the sunchoke aside, peel the rest of the sunchokes. Set up a steaming pot (if you don’t have one you can put a metal strainer inside of the pot and use that) bring the potto a boil and drop down to medium low heat, place the peeled sunchokes, thyme and bay leaf in there with it, steam for about 1-2 hours or till the sunchokes are tender and soft.
  2. Once the sunchokes are cooked, take out and toss with the olive oil and orange juice, set one small sunchoke aside
  3. Place the rest of the sunchoke into a blender and add in a pinch of salt, slowly start blending the sunchokes while adding in a small piece of the butter at a time, step up the speed of then blender. Once all the butter is added you should be at your highest speed and the sunchoke puree should be nice and smooth. Take the puree out of the blender and place in the fridge to chill.

Method
Fried sunchoke

  1. If you have a home deep fryer turn it on to 350f if not fill a medium pot ¼ up with canola oil and heat till up till 350f using a candy thermometer.
  2. Take the unpeeled piece of sunchoke you first set a side and slice very thin rounds (thin as paper)
  3. Drop a few thin rounds into the heated oil till golden brown, remove right away using a slotted spoon and place on a towel to soak up any extra oil, season with a little salt, repeat till all the thin rounds are fried.

Method
Plating

  1. With the seconded piece of sunchoke you set a side (the steamed one) give it a rough chop to bite size pieces and toss it with the black and white sesame seeds.
  2. Take your sunchoke puree out of the fridge and place a few drops on to your plate about 5 to 6 bean sized drops
  3. Cut the tuna into ¼ inch pieces and place on each drop, place some sesame seed tossed sunchoke pieces around and some of the golden brown fried sunchoke chips. Take that sheet of nori and rip it up and place a few pieces of it in-between the tuna.

Provided by: Executive Chef John Stratton
https://cfjctoday.com/2019/09/20/cfjc-midday-hungry-sparkling-hill-resorts-executive-chef-cooks-up-yuzu-ponzu-torched-ahi-tuna-with-sunchoke/