Sumosan Tartare

Serves 2.

Takes half an hour to assemble, plus marinating time of up to an hour if you're using mackerel.

This is quite a special meal – it’s light and satisfying; a divine combination of flavours and textures. Even on a winter evening, it goes down a treat. We’ve served this to people who had never had raw fish before – they loved it and asked for the recipe. Sorry to sound poncey, but the truffle oil and wasabe aren’t optional, and we are not talking supermarket quality fish here; talk to your fishmonger. This is a recipe in which steel towers (open ended metal rings 7cm in diameter and 6cm tall) are absolutely essential

240g the very freshest sushi quality tuna, trimmed of all fat and skin, or similar quality mackerel

2 medium ripe avocadoes

1 pack of chives. Chop a generous dessertspoon full very finely, and hold back 8 strands for serving

1/2 tsp truffle oil

4 tsps lemon juice

a pinch of salt

2 eggs

1/2 a tsp of very fresh, juicy ginger, chopped very finely indeed, and mashed to a pulp with the flat of a knife

Caviar

Wasabe paste (Japanese horseradish)


  • Cut the fish into 1 cm cubes.

  • Mix with the chopped chives, truffle oil, lemon juice and salt. Mix in 1/8 of a teaspoon ful of wasabi, and check for flavour. Add another 1/8 of a teaspoon if you fancy. For tuna, marinade for 15 minutes, for mackerel, marinade for an hour

  • 10 minutes before serving, chop the avocado into small cubes (about 5mm). Set two steel towers on each plate (as mentioned above), then split the avocado between them. Tamp down carefully

  • Soft boil the eggs for 5 minutes and peel then chop roughly, mix 1/4 of a teaspoon full of ginger paste into the eggs, taste, add more if you fancy; the ginger taset should be there in teh background, and not overpowering the eggs. Place the fish on top of the avocado, also tamping down carefully, and make a dip in the middle. Scoop the soft boiled egg mix into the hollow in the fish.

  • Top it with half a teaspoonful of caviar

  • Gently twist off the steel towers, dress the plate with the remaining chive strands and two dots of wasabe, and add a couple of dots of truffle oil

  • Serve immediately