Carpaccio de Thon à la Vinaigrette de Poireaux
Chapter 1 — Apéro & Hors d'Œuvres
The American bistro is its own beautiful, chaotic animal. This dish—a staple at institutions from Spring Street in NYC to 14th Street in DC—proves it. It takes the rustic, working-class French staple of poireaux vinaigrette and distills its sweet, mustardy essence into a shimmering dressing for pristine raw tuna. It demands rigorous knife work and the patience to let the vinaigrette steep overnight, but do it right, and your first bite will taste exactly like a bustling Friday night service at Pastis.
Before you start
Blanch and shock the leeks.
Drop the micro-brunoised leeks into rapidly boiling salted water for exactly 60 seconds to kill the harsh onion bite, then immediately plunge them into an ice bath. Drain and press them completely dry with paper towels, as water is the enemy of an emulsion.
Build the emulsion base.
Whisk the Champagne vinegar, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, minced shallot, and a generous pinch of kosher salt in a bowl, letting it sit for five minutes so the acid can mellow the shallot.
Whisk confidently to emulsify the oils.
Combine the olive and neutral oils in a measuring cup, then drizzle them into the mustard base in a slow, microscopic stream while whisking aggressively until the mixture is creamy and homogenous.
Steep the vinaigrette overnight.
Fold the dried, blanched leeks into the emulsion, season with black pepper, and refrigerate overnight in an airtight container to let the sweet allium essence thoroughly perfume the oil.
Ingredients
- leeks2 small
- Champagne vinegar2 tbsp
- fresh lemon juice1 tbsp
- Dijon mustard1 tsp
- shallot1 small
- extra-virgin olive oil1/4 cup
- neutral oil1/4 cup
- sushi-grade yellowfin or bigeye tuna1 lb
- fleur de sel1 pinch
- black pepper1 pinch
- fresh chives1 tbsp
- kosher salt1 pinch
Method
- 01
Firm the tuna in the freezer.
Wrap the tuna block tightly in plastic and place it in the freezer for exactly 20 to 30 minutes to firm the moisture within the flesh, creating a rigid structure for your knife to glide through without tearing the delicate fibers.
- 02
Chill the plates.
Place four large, flat appetizer plates in the refrigerator, as warm plates will instantly degrade the texture of the raw fish.
- 03
Slice the carpaccio.
Using a razor-sharp, non-serrated slicing knife, cut the semi-firm tuna against the grain into translucent sheets less than 1/8-inch thick, utilizing long, smooth, single-stroke pulls.
- 04
Build the mosaic.
Lay the tuna slices flat on the chilled plates, overlapping them very slightly until the surface is entirely covered in a delicate, ruby-red layer.
- 05
Dress and garnish.
Give the overnight leek vinaigrette a vigorous whisk to ensure it is flowing, then spoon it generously over the fish until it shimmers. Finish the plate with a disciplined sprinkle of fleur de sel, a crack of black pepper, and the minced chives.
Notes
Source true sushi-grade tuna.
If you cannot find trusted sushi-grade fish at your local fishmonger, do not attempt this with standard supermarket tuna steaks. Pivot and use this glorious vinaigrette over a beautifully poached salmon fillet or steamed asparagus instead.
Respect the emulsion chemistry.
There is no substitute for authentic French Dijon mustard here, as American yellow mustard has the wrong acid profile and won't properly hold the emulsion.
Execute the rescue protocol if the vinaigrette breaks.
If you add the oil too quickly and the dressing separates into a greasy mess, put a fresh teaspoon of Dijon in a clean bowl and slowly whisk the broken mixture into the new mustard, drop by drop, to re-establish the emulsion.