How to make Tuna and Tomato, and How to make Tomato and Watermelon Salad
This recipe is a throwback to working with Daniel Patterson in San Francisco over 15 years ago. We had a dish on the menu that was really amazing I thought. I’d never seen anything like it before and to be honest never really seen anything like it since. The dish consisted of seared tuna that was set with gelatin inside a vegetable stock with a citrus, chives, salt, and pepper. I decided to recreate this dish using tomato water instead of vegetable stock and I first did it with the tuna but then I decided to recreate the recipe with watermelon. Watermelon and tomato go fantastic together. So this post is kind of two in one. The process is the same, the difference is one having tuna and the other watermelon. To my surprise Jp actually loved the watermelon more than the tuna, so if you want a vegetarian version that costs a lot less, than try the watermelon version. Here is the recipe I hope you enjoy it!
Recipe Ingredients
Tomato and Watermelon
3 cups of tomato water
1 tbsp of gelatin
1 tbsp water
1 lemon zest and juiced
2 tbsp of chives
salt
8 oz of watermelon cut into rounds
8 oz of tuna loin cut into a small log or rectangle
1 tbsp of olive oil
salt and pepper
Recipe Instructions
How to sear Tuna,
Season aggressively with salt and pepper. Then add oil to a hot pan and place the tuna in the pan. cook for 10 seconds on each side of the tuna and then take out and let it cool completely. Then slice the tuna in 1/4 inch thick pieces.
How to prepare Ring molds,
Find ring molds, (any shape you have will work, square, cylinder, oval , you can even use pvc piping cut into cylinders etc…) and you will need to take 2-3 pieces of plastic wrap and place on the bottom of the ring mold. Make sure there is enough to hang over the sides. Then take a thick rubber band secure the 3 sheets of plastic around the bottom of the ring mold. You want the rubber band and plastic so tight that the plastic is like a “fake bottom” for the mold and nothing can leak out. You will need about 6-8 molds depending on what size you have. Place them on a sheet pan with the bottoms (with the plastic) on the bottom of the sheet pan.
How to make Tomato water
Juice tomatoes in a vegetable juicer. Then take juice and place in a pot, heat over low heat. Simmer for 15 min until solids separate from the liquid. Remove from heat skim the pulp from the top. Then strain through a fine mesh strainer that is lined with cheesecloth or coffee filter. You should be left with a clear tomato broth.
How to use Gelatin,
Meanwhile combine water and gelatin to bloom. Then stir in the gelatin into the warm tomato water and season with salt and lemon zest. Then place in a bowl and set it inside an ice bath. You want to stir occasionally so the gel too fast around the sides of the bowl. Once the tomato water is completely cold but not yet gelled stir in the chives. At this point you want to place either your tuna or your watermelon in the bottom of your molds so that is on the plastic. Then once the tomato water starts to gel slightly but is still somewhat pourable ladle a few spoonfuls over the watermelon/tuna until it just covers the top of the watermelon/tuna. Then continue with the rest of the molds. Place the sheet pan into the refrigerator for about an hour or two until it has completely set.
To Finish,
Once ready to serve and the gelatin in the tomato water has completely set, take the plastic-rubber bands off the bottoms of the molds. Then using a sharp paring knife, run the knife along the inside of the mold to release the round cylinder of tuna. Place it on the plate. Drizzle lightly with olive oil if desired and season with salt and pepper. Serve and enjoy either the tuna or tomato!
