Summer has officially showed up in Portland, and with temps spiking, it’s not exactly prime time to hang out around a hot oven. Which is why I’ve turned my attention to dishes that beat the heat–seasonally focused crudos. This torched tataki can kiss the grill if you have one fired up, and the fish can be replaced with raw shrimp, sliced scallops, or another fish altogether. The true stars of this fresh recipe are the crops of early summer, melded into a refreshing and savory dish. Pick some fresh strawberries (we went to Columbia Farms), gather your ingredients, and meet your new summer obsession.
Ingredients
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2 stalks rhubarb, peeled and sliced
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1 cup fresh strawberries
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½ cup green strawberries
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1 tsp. mustard seeds
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4 tsp. black pepper, divided
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1 tsp. fennel seeds
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2 cups white wine vinegar
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1 ¼ cup + 1 tsp. white sugar, divided
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2 Tbsp. + 2 tsp. kosher salt, divided
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1 cup fresh, packed basil, plus extra leaves for serving
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2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
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¾ cup lime juice
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¼ cup champagne vinegar
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½ cup honey (preferably wildflower)
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1lb. sashimi grade hamachi
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1 tsp. sesame seeds, ground
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¼ cup raw red onion, thinly sliced
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2 tsp. sunflower oil
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1 cup balsamic vinegar
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1 shallot, diced
Mise En Place
Pickled green strawberries and rhubarb
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1 stalk rhubarb, peeled and sliced
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½ cup green strawberries
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1 tsp. mustard seeds
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2 tsp. black pepper
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1 tsp. fennel seeds
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2 cups white wine vinegar
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½ cup white sugar
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1 Tbsp. kosher salt
Separate your green strawberries and rhubarb into two small plastic, sealable deli containers. Distribute mustard seeds, black pepper and fennel seeds into each container. In a small pot, heat vinegar to a boil over and dissolve sugar and salt into the mixture and let simmer for ten minutes. Take the pot off the heat and allow the pickling liquid to cool completely. Once at room temperature, pour over both containers of strawberries and rhubarb. Seal and refrigerate. Your pickles will be ready to eat in a minimum of 12 hours and will stay good in your fridge for a month.
Basil aguachile
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1 Tbsp. salt
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2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
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¾ cups lime juice
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¼ cup champagne vinegar
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½ cup honey (preferably wildflower)
In the base of a blender or food processor, place all of the above ingredients and mix at a medium speed for about a minute. This can be made up to a day ahead.
Strawberry rhubarb and balsamic puree
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2 tsp. sunflower oil
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1 rhubarb stalk, peeled and sliced
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1 shallot, diced
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1 cup fresh strawberries, sliced
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2 tsp. balck pepper
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1 cup balsamic vinegar
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¾ cup white sugar
In a saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat and cook shallots until translucent and fragrant (about four minutes) before adding rhubarb. Continue to cook until soft for three additional minutes. Add strawberries and season with black pepper and salt. Pour vinegar and sugar over berry sauce and mix until the sugar has completely dissolved into the compote. Reduce heat to medium and allow to cook until reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Allow to cool and once at room temperature, blend in a food processor or blender at a high speed until smooth. Pour mixture in a squeeze bottle. This can also be made up to day ahead of time.
Tataki
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1lb. sashimi grade hamachi
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1 tsp. sesame seeds, ground
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1 tsp. black pepper
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1 tsp. kosher salt
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1 tsp. sugar
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Aguachile from above recipe
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Pickles from above recipe
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Strawberry rhubarb puree from above recipe
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Basil leaves
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¼ cup raw red onion, thinly sliced
Pat fish dry with a paper towel and set aside. In a small bowl combine dry ingredients and coat the fish with the mixture. Using a kitchen torch, kiss the hamachi’s surface until sugar blisters on each side of the fish. Slice thin with a sharpened knife and plate. Pour aguachile evenly around the dish and stud the crudo with pickles, and dots of puree. Garnish with basil leaves and raw red onion slices. Serve this cool crudo on a scorching summer day.