Tuna Crudo Recipe

Tuna Crudo Recipe

Alec Hess, chef at Cafe Olli

Chef Alec Hess of Café Olli showcases a refreshing Albacore Tuna Crudo, beautifully paired with Vesuvius tomatoes and sweet Jimmy Nardello peppers. This dish celebrates the simplicity of sustainable, local ingredients, enhanced with unique additions like nepitella and gem marigold leaves, highlighting Alec's commitment to innovative, flavor-rich culinary creations.

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup raw albacore tuna loin, diced

• 2 lemons, juiced

• 3 Jimmy Nardello peppers, or other sweet / mild pepper

• 6 Vesuvius tomatoes, or other heirloom tomatoes

• 3 sprigs nepitella

• 3 sprigs marigold

• fish sauce, to taste 

• flake salt, to taste 

• extra virgin olive oil, to taste

Directions:

1. Heat a cast iron or steel pan over medium-high heat. Pull the stems off of the peppers. Once the pan is hot add the peppers to the pan. Let them char on one side ~ about 2 min, then flip and char on the other side.

2. Remove peppers from heat, let cool, and slice into obliques.

3. Slice tomatoes into quarters.

4. Pick the leaves and buds off of the nepitella as well as the marigold. You can use the flowers from the marigold as well as the greens.

5. Combine diced raw tuna in a bowl with nepitella, marigolds, tomatoes, and peppers.

6. Give them a brief mix.

7. Season your mixture with a big pinch of flake salt, lemon juice, a dash of fish sauce, and a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

8. Give it a taste and adjust the seasoning before plating.

9. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the tuna crudo to your plate, garnish with more nepitella and marigold, and enjoy!