This bright peppery tuna crudo is super quick and easy. Serve it for as an appetizer or devour the entire thing yourself.

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“The only crude thing about this dish, is having to share it”

– Frankie

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What is Crudo?

In short, crudo is Italian for raw. Usually fish or meat and always dressed with some kind of seasoning. Seasonings can vary widely, but normally it’s some sort of vinaigrette, olive oil, and/or citrus juice.

It’s a pretty ambiguous term besides that, raw and seasoned. Technically you could do a vegetable crudo, but if you value your friendships, don’t. That’s just a salad Susan.

Carpaccio’s are similar to Crudo’s, the difference being how thin the raw meat or fish is. Carpaccio is pounded or delicately sliced to be super thin. Like crudo, It is also seasoned with a citrus, oil olive, or sauce.

What about tartare? Tartare is also raw meat seasoned with olive oil, citrus, or a vinaigrette. The difference here is that the meat is diced or minced.

Okay, finally we have Sashimi. Sashimi is raw fish. It’s all about the quality of the fish, the preparation and technique used to serve that fish.

If you’re digging the raw fish, check out our other crudo recipes! Like this salmon crudo citrus tomato vinaigrette.

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AHI TUNA CRUDO

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Ahi Tuna Ingredients

Serving a crudo is all about letting a few really good ingredients shine. Don’t skimp on anything here, get the good stuff!

• Fish: Get the good stuff, only buy sushi grade Tuna. This is non negotiable. Your average local grocery might not carry this, so call around to your local fish monger.

• Olive oil: Again, get the good stuff, you’ll notice the difference. Earlier this year Frankie and I and were in Philadelphia’s little Italy and snagged a bottle of Habanero oil olive at Cardenas. It’s freaking awesome and it works great in this Ahi Tuna Crudo Recipe. If you don’t want the extra spice, any high quality extra virgin olive oil will do.

• Veggie: A blanket of thinly sliced cucumbers or radishes will give this dish a much needed texture crunch. It’ll also help soak up that delicious vinaigrette. I like using either pertain or baby cucumbers.

• Peppers: Jalapeños or Serrano’s. If you’re using a spicy olive oil, you might opt out of adding more heat with sliced Serrano, but I like the heat. Slice your peppers super thin so they give you a nice spicy crunch without blowing out the taste of the fish.

• Citrus: Not always a staple in curdo’s, but I really like the sweet citrus relief a tangerine or orange gives in this spicy ahi tuna crudo recipe. I squeeze half a tangerine in with the olive oil.

• Vinegar: Sticking with the theme here, I use a couple tbsp’s of Citrus Champagne Vinegar.

• Capers: They bring a little more acidity to the party as tangerines are a milder citrus. Use the capers and their juice.

• Salt & Pepper: I’ll grind some salt and pepper onto my cucumber blanket and then finish the dish with some cause sea salt flakes.

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How to Prepare Ahi Tuna Crudo

Follow these steps to prepare this ahi tuna crudo.

Step 1: Prep

First of all, throw your ahi tuna into the freezer for 10 minutes. This will make it easier to cut.

Layer your serving dish with the sliced cucumbers. Season them with salt and pepper.

Once chilled, take your ahi tuna out of the freezer and cut against the grain, making 1/8-1/4 inch slices. Use a super sharp knife to pull the fat end of the blade towards you in one firm motion. Try not to saw the fish.

Step 2: Make your vinaigrette

In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil, vinegear, citrus juice, zest, caper juice, capers, and salt and pepper. Set aside.

Step 3: Plate

Arrange your pieces of fish onto the cucumbers. Top each piece with the sliced of pepper and drizzle the vinaigrette liberally.

Garnish with micro greens, course sea salt, and/or a citrus squeeze.

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Plating Ahi Tuna Crudo

This is the fun part. Choose a serving dish and treat it like a blank canvas. There is no wrong way to plate your crudo, just have fun with it. Instead of thinly sliced cucumbers, sometimes we’ll use watermelon radishes for some extra color and wow factor.

Shapes and designs are fun to do. make a flower in the middle with the fish and fruit pieces. Lay thin slices of jalapeño or serrano onto of each individual piece of fish. Since this dish is super easy to prepare, take the time to plate it nicely. We first eat with our eyes.

Obviously this isn’t mandatory. The fish is the star here, and if you’re eating alone in the dark just throw all the ingredients in a bowl and season with your tears.

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Ahi Tuna Variations

If you’re not into the spicy fish thing, feel free to mix up the ingredients. For a more traditional Ahi Tuna Crudo, use olive oil and lemon juice. Add a shallot into the mix. Garnish with micro greens or thinly sliced basil.

Or go a more Japanese route and use sesame oil, soy sauce and ginger! Have fun with it! Just remember that fish is the star, and to use the best possible ingredients.

For more crudo recipes, try out Salmon Crudo Ginger Soy Recipe, or our Salmon Crudo with Tomato Citrus Vinaigerette Recipe. Cheers!

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Ahi Tuna Inspirations!

So maybe you aren’t ready to dive into preparing raw fish at home. Or maybe you have never tried raw fish and you’re curious.

If so, don’t wait any longer! Raw, fresh, high quality fish is one of the great joys in life. When Frankie and I need a “make us happy” meal, we don’t seek out the golden arches, we get sushi.

One of our favorite restaurants go get sushi, crudos, and sashimi is Bamboo Sushi. They have locations up and down the west coast. If you’re in Portland, Seattle, or the Bay Area do yourself a favor and check them out! They definitely inspired some of our crudo recipes.

If you don’t live in those cities, chances are you aren’t too far away from a restaurant that serves crudo. Get out there and explore! Cheers.

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