No matter what they say, you can never entirely trust the weather forecasts – and weather often determines what we’re cooking on Poseidon. A beautiful sunny day out at the islands cries out for something tropical and this Tuna Parfait is exactly that, in taste and in its gorgeous colors. Sometimes we serve it as an appetizer and sometimes as a main course.
And if it turns out to be a gloomy day, at least the piquancy of this dish – and its gorgeous colors – will cheer you up…
¾ pound sushi-grade ahi tuna
¼ cup soy sauce
1 mango (preferably Manila or Champagne)
1 avocado
½ red onion
½ jalapeno
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, minced
¼ teaspoon Sirracha
¼ teaspoon sesame oil
Fresh lime juice
Sea salt
Tobiko (flying fish roe)-optional
Cut the tuna into 1/3 inch dice, drizzle with soy sauce and refrigerate while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. Dice the mango and the avocado the same size as the tuna. Finely dice the red onion and jalapeno. Remove the tuna from the refrigerator and drain excess soy sauce. Add the mango, avocado, onion, jalapeno, cilantro, Sirracha and sesame oil and mix together. Season to taste with a drizzle of fresh lime juice and sea salt. Spoon into a martini glass and top with tobiko.
Wine Choice: At a preliminary filming for our TV pilot at anchor at Santa Cruz Island, Linda created her now famous Ahi Tuna Parfait. Our good friend Nick Fisher, who is a wine shop owner and restaurateur was with us and graciously selected some wines for us to pair. We had some great debates over the wines which were mostly from Poseidon Cooks! selected wine region. Nick has a great palate for wine, but he’s not stuffy or pretentious, thank the lord. Our wine philosophy is similar, honest, well made wines, tasty, enjoyable and a good value will carry the day. For this quite exotic and spicy appetizer, Nick recommends a Taz Pinot Grigio, a local wine from Santa Barbara. The Taz is clean and crisp with a hint of citrus which should go well with the tropical tones of the parfait. It’s a light wine but strong enough to stand up to the tuna and the spice, yet subtle enough to complement the delicate flavors without overpowering them.
John’s Wine Pairing
A 2007 Laetitia Brut Rosé was originally Linda’s choice and I entirely endorse it! In our view, Laetitia is the best of the domestic ‘champagne’ makers. This is a particularly beautiful wine whose delicate fruity nuances accent the mango and the cilantro – yet are not too strong to overpower the subtleties of the Ahi Tuna.
