Cerviche!

Cerviche made with fresh anchovies

Sushi quality tuna

"I don't know how to cook!" is no longer a valid excuse.  If you can squeeze a lemon and pour some salt you can prepare this exquisite dish.

Slice tuna into razor-thin slices

Add coase sea salt

Cover with fresh squeezed lemon juice

And cover

This is another dish Vincenzo taught me.  We made the dish using fresh anchovies but, knowing it's difficult to get fresh anchovies, even in NYC, Vincenzo said you can substitute other types of fish.  I feel most comfortable with sushi quality tuna as you can have that uncooked.

Fresh anchovies in the market in Ravello on the Amalfi Coast



Preparation with tuna is even easier than it is with anchovies.  You have to clean the anchovies by hand and it takes a while - but it's certainly worth the effort.  Unfortunately, even when you can find fresh anchovies state-side, they're rarely as good as having them fresh out of the Mediterranean Sea.  The good news is it's a snap to prepare the tuna for cerviche.  You merely slice it into razor-thin slices. 

Et viola! You know it's done when the tuna turns a white-ish pink

I've also used salmon using this recipe. Just be sure to have your fish monger remove the skin.  Once you put the fish in the lemon and salt mixture you cover with a plate and let stand.  It takes about 10 minutes.  You know it's done when it's almost a pink and white.  The tuna cerviche is above.  When you use salmon it turns a lovely light pink.

Tuna cerviche served with the zucchini recipe posted yesterday

I served the tuna cerviche in a counterintuitive way.  Vincenzo taught me a delicious room temperature eggplant dish which I'll post in the future.  I tried serving with the hot zucchini recipe from yesterday.  The tuna almost tasted like steak and it did take on some of the heat of the zucchini.  It was different - and I loved the results - try it!

Hot & cold.  A different taste that works!

Ingredients

1/4 - 1/2 pound sushi quality tuna per person

(You're going to have to eyeball this one)

2 tbspns coarse sea salt

3 lemons juiced.  I used my citrus juicer to make life easier, but you can do it the old fashioned way and squeeze by hand

Method

Cut the tuna into razor-thin slices

Put in a bowl

Add the salt and mix the tuna around

Add the lemon juice

Cover the top with a plate and let sit for 5 - 10 minutes.  You'll know that it's done when the tuna turns an opaque, whitish color.  Serve with the zucchini dish.

Note: finish the tuna cerviche the evening it's served.  It's not good for leftovers.

Enjoy!