Early Bird Special

A quick post on a different way to do breakfast…..can’t start it without eggs.

DSC_0357

DSC_3486

DSC_2847

This may seem weird but I salt cured this piece of Toro Tuna (fatty tuna) for a breakfast meal (replacing smoked lox)…Salt curing meats like prosciutto, pastrami, etc is quite common but you can also cure and smoke fish (smoked salmon for example). Cured tuna isn’t as common but some chefs like to do it. I think cured Toro tastes 100x times better than smoked salmon. It doesn’t even taste like tuna anymore it starts to taste like some smoked ham or prosciutto, but more moist and fatty. It practically melts in your mouth. Also it only takes 24 hours to cure before hand. I used 2 cups salt, 1.5 cups sugar, 1 tablespoon of lime zest, and crushed peppercorns. At the end I also splashed a little less than 2 tablespoons of dry gin on the salt before wrapping everything up. I know too much tuna talk…this is my last post on it I swear!

toro

Lime zest and peppercorns

saltcuremix

DSC_0287

Wrap everything up, make sure half the salt mixture rests on top and on the bottom of the tuna and don’t forget that small splash of gin. The gin should moisten the salt a bit. Secure the package and place it in the fridge.
tinfoil

After 24 hours……

DSC_0155

Once it comes out of the fridge and you  wash off the salt, the tuna gets a little drier (from all the salt pulling the moisture out of the meat) and what you get is an intensified toro flavor with the buttery saltiness… I like to eat it right after I wash it and dry it with a paper towel but you can prolong this curing process by soaking the tuna in water, and then hanging it up to dry (like salami) for 1-2 weeks. Then the meat shrinks even more…but I prefer this stage when its salty but still soft.

DSC_2830

I placed this piece in the fridge for 30 minutes before I cut it, same concept as putting a ball of mozzarella in the freezer so that when you go to grate it the cheese doesn’t collapse or fall apart completely. I highly suggest you try this (with TORO).
DSC_2939

Eggs and potatoes (au gratin). Potatoes were prepared by slicing thin sheets shaped into a rectangle, I used a simple au gratin recipe, heavy cream, butter and some onions.  I didn’t use cheese for this gratin because the flavor is too strong and there are so many other “strong” flavors going on in the dish. I  used quail eggs because they are smaller and work better with this dish. This is not figure friendly, obviously.

DSC_2892

Layer avocados in between…

DSC_2922

On top of the eggs, avocado and potato, add the salt cured tuna.
DSC_3009
DSC_3080

DSC_3078

DSC_3066

DSC_3069

DSC_3110

If you can, add some sliced fresh truffles (I got this summer black truffle from Dean and Deluca for 40$, go to the cheese section towards the back and ask for it, they don’t display it)
DSC_3133

DSC_3140

DSC_3180

DSC_3178

DSC_3158

DSC_3164

Past and upcoming posts may be pretty light and quick (I don’t have much time to myself right now and I’m waiting on some custom zippers and snaps to arrive before I start sewing again). Thanks for reading anyway!