I brought this appetizer to a party that we attended recently. As the night progressed, I thought it would be best to remove it from the table. After all, you don’t want raw fish sitting out unrefrigerated, right? So I moved it to the kitchen and put the bowl in the sink, thinking that I would deal with the dishes later. When I walked back into the living room, a friend asked me where the tuna had gone (actually, she demanded to know where it went). I explained that I didn’t want to get anyone sick because it had been sitting out for a while, thinking that would be the end of it. I walked in the kitchen a few minutes later to find her standing at the sink, chips in hand, eating the tartare. She didn’t get sick, fortunately, but I think that’s quite a testament to how good this dish is.
Tuna Tartare and Wonton Chips
serves 4 healthy-sized appetizer portions
For the tartare:
12 oz sashimi-grade tuna
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 tablespoons sesame oil
4 scallions, chopped (white and light green parts only)
1 tablespoon sesame seeds (black or white, or a mixture)
For the chips:
40 wonton wrappers (usually in a refrigerated case near the produce or pre-packaged salad green containers)
1 tablespoon sesame seeds (black or white, or a mixture)
Salt
Oil for frying
Cut the tuna into a half-inch dice. Transfer to a medium bowl. Add soy sauce and rice vinegar, tossing to coat. Add sesame oil, scallions and sesame seeds, tossing to coat. Don’t let the tuna sit in the marinade more than a few hours, or it will start to get too salty. If you need to prepare everything in advance, make the dressing separately and toss with the tuna before serving.
Heat 1/2 inch of oil in a deep sauté pan over medium heat. Add the wontons a few at a time, flipping after about 20 seconds. Fry until golden brown, which should take less than a minute. Keep an eye on the temperature of the oil, because the wonton wrappers are thin and will start to burn if the oil gets too hot. Sprinkle the chips with a pinch of sesame seeds and salt as soon as it comes out of the fryer so they stick to the hot oil.
Serve the tartare in a bowl with a spoon, to top the wontons with a scoop of tuna.
