📝 About This Recipe
This elegant Tiradito celebrates the marriage of Japanese precision and Peruvian soul, featuring buttery yellowtail sashimi bathed in a vibrant passion fruit leche de tigre. Unlike ceviche, the fish is sliced into delicate ribbons and dressed moments before serving to preserve its silken texture. The result is a sophisticated balance of tropical acidity, gentle heat from Aji Amarillo, and the luxurious richness of premium Hamachi.
🥗 Ingredients
The Fish
- 12 ounces Sashimi-grade Hamachi (Yellowtail) loin (very cold, bloodline removed)
Passion Fruit Leche de Tigre
- 1/2 cup Fresh Passion Fruit pulp (strained to remove seeds)
- 1/4 cup Fresh Lime juice (squeezed gently to avoid bitterness)
- 1.5 tablespoons Aji Amarillo paste (authentic Peruvian yellow chili paste)
- 1/2 inch Fresh Ginger (peeled and smashed)
- 1 piece Garlic clove (smashed)
- 2 tablespoons Red onion (roughly chopped)
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt (to taste)
Garnish and Texture
- 1/4 small Red Onion (shaved paper-thin and soaked in ice water)
- 12-15 pieces Fresh Cilantro leaves (small, delicate leaves)
- 1 piece Fresno Chili (sliced into ultra-thin rings)
- 2 pieces Radish (sliced into translucent rounds)
- 1 teaspoon Black Sesame Seeds (toasted)
- 1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil (high quality, mild flavor)
- 1 pinch Maldon Sea Salt (for finishing)
👨🍳 Instructions
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1
Begin by preparing the 'Leche de Tigre' base. In a blender, combine the passion fruit pulp, lime juice, Aji Amarillo paste, smashed ginger, garlic, and chopped red onion.
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2
Pulse the blender 5-6 times. You want to extract the aromatics without completely emulsifying the solids into a thick paste. Let the mixture steep in the fridge for 15 minutes.
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3
Strain the liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a chilled bowl, pressing lightly on the solids. Season with kosher salt until the acidity pops. Keep this chilled until the very last second.
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4
Prepare the garnishes: Shave the red onion on a mandoline and soak in ice water for 10 minutes to remove the 'bite' and make them curl. Drain and pat dry before use.
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5
Retrieve your Hamachi from the refrigerator. Ensure it is ice-cold, which makes for cleaner, more precise cuts.
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6
Using a very sharp Yanagiba or chef's knife, slice the Hamachi across the grain into 1/8-inch thick rectangles. Aim for slices roughly 2 inches long.
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7
Arrange the Hamachi slices on chilled plates. Lay them flat in a single layer, slightly overlapping them like fallen dominoes or in a circular 'carpaccio' style.
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8
Lightly season the raw fish slices with a tiny pinch of fine salt to begin seasoning from the bottom up.
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9
Stir your chilled passion fruit leche de tigre and spoon it generously over the fish. The fish should be sitting in a shallow pool of the liquid, but not submerged.
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10
Place 2-3 curls of the soaked red onion and a few slices of radish atop the fish for height and crunch.
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11
Distribute the Fresno chili rings and cilantro leaves artistically across the plate.
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12
Finish with a light sprinkle of black sesame seeds and a few flakes of Maldon sea salt.
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13
Drizzle a few drops of high-quality olive oil over the sauce; the oil droplets will bead up beautifully against the passion fruit juice.
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14
Serve immediately while the fish is cold and the texture is still firm. The acid will begin to 'cook' the fish if it sits too long.
💡 Chef's Tips
Always use 'Sashimi Grade' fish from a trusted purveyor; the quality of the Hamachi is 90% of the dish. If you cannot find fresh passion fruit, use a high-quality frozen pulp (ensure it is 100% fruit with no added sugar). When squeezing limes, do not squeeze them to the rind; the oils from the skin can make the leche de tigre bitter. Chill your serving plates in the freezer for 10 minutes before plating to keep the dish refreshing. Use a mandoline for the radish and onion to achieve that professional 'fine dining' translucency.
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
Pair with a crisp, high-acidity white wine like an Albariño or a dry Riesling. A chilled glass of premium Junmai Ginjo Sake complements the buttery texture of the Hamachi perfectly. Serve with a side of 'Cancha' (Peruvian toasted corn) for a traditional salty crunch. As an appetizer, follow this with a grilled octopus or a light seafood risotto. A Pisco Sour with a passion fruit twist is the ultimate cocktail pairing for this Latin-Asian fusion.