Sashimi Tuna with Avocado Appetizer
Chef:
JoAnna Minneci
 

Food Mood:
Fish and Seafood
 

Cuisine:
Japanese
 

Description
Two great places to purchase high-quality fish in Los Angeles are the 99 Ranch Markets and Santa Monica Seafood. They both sell sushi-quality tuna at reasonable prices.

This tuna should always be (or have been) frozen. It is a part of the process that keeps the tuna safe to be eaten raw. If you can get it frozen, and keep it frozen until just before you will make it, you'll have the best results.

Fresh tuna should smell clean and fresh like an ocean breeze. It should never smell "fishy".

Servings:
 

Ingredients
Wasabi - just a little, "to taste" (In a pinch, you can use a bit of horseradish)
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup cold water
1 avocado, ripe but still firm*
1/2 cup soy sauce, or more as needed
Tuna, sushi grade—fresh or fresh-frozen*
Toothpicks as needed

Method
If you are using powdered wasabi, mix equal parts of the powder and cold water (about 1 teaspoon each, more if you like it really hot) and let it rest a few minutes, as you do the rest of the recipe. If you are using premade wasabi paste from a tube you don't need to do anything extra.

Mix cold water and lemon juice in a bowl and set aside.

Cut avocado flesh into rectangular chunks, about 2" long and 1/2" wide. Set on a plate and brush with lemon-water.

Mix soy sauce and wasabi.

Cut up the tuna into thin, flat strips about 2" long.

Wrap tuna strips around avocado chunks. Secure with toothpick.

Brush tuna with soy sauce mixture, and refrigerate until ready to serve.

If you have time, put a few thin, round lemon slices in an attractive shallow bowl, and fill the bowl with water. Freeze until the ice is solid. Transfer the refrigerated tuna to this, using it as your platter for presenting the tuna sashimi.

Wine
Sake is a natural choice, but most dry white wines will work well.

Notes
SAFETY TIP: If the tuna is frozen, defrost in the refrigerator, NEVER at room temperature!

Author:
Chef JoAnna Minneci, ed. mat