Tomato “Tuna” Tartare
Vegan Tomato “Tuna” Tartare with Asian Pear and Vegan Japanese Mayo on a Sticky Rice Cake is stunning in presentation and even more delicious. The Vegan Japanese Mayo fills in the gaps, by adding a savory, umami richness to the tomato tartar, and the sticky rice cake is a revelation. We thank you, Chef Bruce Hill, for your inspiration.
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How To Make Vegan Tomato “Tuna” Tartare
How to Make Sticky Rice Cakes
Chefs Tips
Tomato Tartare
Servings: 4 as a starter
Calories: 199kcal
Vegan Tomato "Tuna" Tartare is elevated to the stratosphere with the addition of Asian pear, Pine nuts, and a creamy Vegan Japanese Mayo.
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Ingredients
Tomato Tartare
- 3 heirloom tomatoes
- ½ cup water
- 1 kombu sheet 2ich by 2 inch
- 1 tsp kelp granules
- 1 Tbsp mirin
- 1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
- ½ tsp sesame oil
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- 2 Tbsp pine nuts toasted
- 2-3 Tbsp Asian Pear small dice
- 1 Tbsp chive finely chopped
- ½ tsp sesame oil
Crispy Sushi Rice
- 1 ½ cups sushi rice
- 1 ½ cups water
- ¼ cup rice vinegar seasoned
- ½ tsp sea salt
- 2-4 Tbsp olive oil extra virgin
Instructions
How to make Tomato Tartare
- Bring a pot of water to a boil. Remove the core of the tomato. Score the bottom of the tomato creating an X on the bottom of the tomato. Do not cut too deep into the tomato, just enough to break the skin.
- Drop the tomatoes into the boiling water, cooking for about 20 seconds. Remove the tomatoes and allow them to cool enough to handle.
- Gently peel the tomatoes.
- Cut the tomatoes in half, and remove the seeds. Cut the halves in half creating quarters. Place the tomato pedals on a plate and set them aside.
- Gently warm the water, kombu sheet, kelp granules, mirin, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, and sea salt. Allow the liquid to steep for 30-45 minutes.
- Pour the marinade over the tomatoes. Allow the tomatoes to marinade for at least 30 minutes, it is even better if you can allow the tomatoes to sit overnight in the refrigerator.
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
- Place the tomato pedals on a baking rack. Cook the tomatoes for 12 minutes. I am looking for the tomatoes to dehydrate a touch and release some liquid.
- Dice the tomatoes, and place them in a bowl. Add the Asian pears, pine nuts, and chopped chives, and season with the sesame oil and sea salt.
How to make Crispy Sushi Rice
- Rinse the rice a couple of times, it’s not super important for the water to become clear.
- Place the water, seasoned rice wine vinegar, salt, and rice in a rice cooker. Follow the cooking recommendations.
- Once the rice is cool enough handle, spread thrice onto a baking sheet 9×13, lined with parchment paper. Spread the rice to cover the whole pan. The rice should be 1/4 inch in thickness. Cover with another sheet of parchment paper, and a baking sheet. Press down firmly, place a few cans of food on top and allow it to cool, it’s best if it can sit overnight.
- Cut out a disc using a cookie cutter, 3-4inch in diameter.
- Heat a heavy cast iron pan over medium heat. Add enough EVOO to cover the bottom generously. Cook one to two sushi rice rounds at a time depending on your pan size, cook until very crispy and golden brown on both sides.
Building Tomato Tartar with Crispy Sushi Rice
- Start with warm crispy sushi rice round, and spread the spicy vegan spicy Japanese mayo, on the rice cake. Place the tomato tartare onto the rice cake using a ring mold or a slightly smaller cutter. Garnish with dots of vegan Japanese mayo, micro mint/ shisho, and chive batons.
Garnish
- Micro shiso or mint leaves. Chive batons
Notes
Nutritional values are an estimate.
Nutrition
Calories: 199kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Sodium: 492mg | Potassium: 286mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 805IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 1mg
Vegan Japanese Mayo with Spicy Variation
Servings: 16 ounces
Calories: 137kcal
Vegan Japanese Mayo is made using tofu instead of the traditional egg yolks to attain the creamy custard-style mayo. The deep yellow color is achieved with a combination of carrot, and turmeric.
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Ingredients
Vegan Japanese Mayo
- 1 ½ cups water
- 16 ounces tofu firm
- ¼ cup carrot small dice
- 1 tsp mustard Dijon
- 1 tsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp rice wine vinegar
- 1 Tbsp maple syrup
- ¼ tsp poultry seasoning
- ¼ tsp turmeric
- ¼ tsp black salt
- 2 Tbsp olive oil extra virgin
Spicy Japanese Mayo Sauce
- ½ cup vegan Japanese mayo
- 2 Tbsp tomato water use from the seeds
- ⅕ tsp cayenne pepper
Instructions
How to Make To Vegan Japanese Mayo
- Dice the tofu.
- Combine the water, tofu, carrots, poultry seasoning, and turmeric. Stir to combine.
- Gently cook over low heat. The goal is to have the carrots tender and most of the liquid reduced.
- Place the tofu mixture in a cup, and add the Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, rice wine vinegar, and EVOO. Using an immersion blender puree until smooth and thick.
- Season with the black salt, start with half, mix, and taste. This is a very personal flavor profile, so adjust it to meet your expectations.
- Set aside in the refrigerator.
How to make Spicy Japanese Mayo Sauce
- Combine the tomato water, cayenne pepper, and the vegan Japanese mayo, and mix to fully combine. Adjust salt as needed.
Notes
Nutritionals values are an estimate.
Nutrition
Calories: 137kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.05g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 55mg | Potassium: 49mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 391IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 1mg
