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HAMACHI TANDOORI WITH PICKLED CUCUMBER AND MANGO SALAD

By Eric Ripert

4 Servings

Salad:

  • 1/4 cup Japanese rice vinegar
  • 1/2 tablespoon sugar
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 English cucumber, peeled and quartered, then remove seeds and cut into 1/4 inch thick slices (use a Japanese cucumber if possible, they're crisper)
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons pickled mango, pulp only (available in East Indian grocery stores)
  • 12 coriander leaves, finely sliced
  • 2 tablespoons micro watercress (or other micro greens)
  • Salt and pepper, freshly ground

Hamachi:

  • Olive oil
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • Sweet Tandoori powder(available in East Indian grocery stores)
  • Salt and pepper, freshly ground
  • Two 4-ounce hamachi fillets (yellowtail tuna)
  • 8 garlic cloves, pureed
  • 1 tablespoon herbes de Provence, or dried oregano
  1. Make the salad: In a small sauté pan, heat the vinegar and sugar until the sugar dissolves. Add the olive oil. Add the cucumber and warm lightly. Remove from heat and add the pickled mango pulp and a pinch of salt. Let cool, then add the coriander. Let the salad marinate for 30 to 45 minutes; there should be a nice balance of sweet and sour. When the flavor is set, drain the liquid and discard.

  2. Cook the fish: In a bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, pinch of tandoori powder and salt and pepper. Season each fillet with salt and pepper. Rub the top of each fillet with a bit of the garlic and dust on both sides with I teaspoon of herbes de Provence and tandoori powder. Drag the fillets through the mixture in the bowl. Reserve the liquid remaining in the bowl. This will be your sauce.

  3. Place a skillet over medium heat. Sear the hamachi fillets gently, approximately 2 minutes on each side. Make sure there is a little color on each side, without burning the fish.

  4. To serve place the salad in a 1 -inch ring mold on the right-hand side each of four 8-inch rectangular plates. Remove the mold and top the salad with a small bunch of the micro greens. Slice the hamachi 1/8-inch thick lengthwise. You should get 10 slices from each fillet. Arrange five slices per plate below the salad. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of sauce over and around the fish and serve the remainder of the sauce on the side.