While Tartare is often associated with finely chopped raw beef, at fine dining restaurants, it’s more common made with fish. Fish tartare is simple to make and incredibly good value compared to dining out. At a restaurant in Sydney, this plate of Tuna Tartare would cost at least $40 – probably more!
Such as with Ceviche and Poke Bowls, this can be made with any sashimi-grade sparkling fresh fish suitable for raw consumption.
Tuna Tartare
I wish I could pass out samples of this through my computer screen so you can taste it. I really hope that you try this at least once in your lifetime because I promise, it is something really special.
The combination of finely chopped raw tuna, sweet juicy lychees, creamy avocado and the zing from lime is magical. It’s fresh but creamy, light but indulgent, sweet but tangy. The softness of the tartare makes it perfect for piling onto crunchy crostini. Every single bite is just heaven.
And it’s so easy to make. And I know you don’t believe me, but it’s incredible value too! The two “expensive” ingredients in this are the sashimi-grade tuna and lychees.
But here’s the thing. You don’t need much of them! Seriously. That generous pile you see in the photo above is made with just 200g/7oz of tuna and 7 lychees. All the ingredients for this recipe cost me A$17 (A$17.65, to be exact), and it serves 4 to 6 as an appetiser. I’m in Sydney, Australia, which is one of the most expensive cities in the world, so chances are it will cost you less (relatively speaking).
Just look at it! The soft tartare piled on crunchy crostini….You want to reach in and grab a piece, don’t you? Come on, admit it!! 😉
The lychees. That’s what takes this from yummy to extra special. You don’t need much, a little goes a long way because they’re so juicy and sweet.
When I start seeing lychees, I know summer is just around the corner. Do you know what lychees are? They are slightly smaller than a golf ball and have a blush red rind. They’re easy to peel and the flesh is white and very juicy. It tastes like a grape – but better. Much better!
Aren’t they beautiful? So pretty!
It’s funny how particular foods bring back memories. Lychees always reminds me of rafting trips. I have a crazy adventure friend who roped me into a rafting trip down the crocodile infested Fitzroy River in the Kimberly’s (way out in the isolated outback of Western Australia). I have one particular memory of a crocodile resting on a rock in the middle of a rapid we had to go down and I was absolutely convinced I was going to be hurled into the water and eaten alive. That’s me on the left in the raft on the photo below. Clinging onto the raft for dear life while the boys did all the work! 😉
I was also convinced that I would be a midnight snack for crocs. We’d shine our head torches onto the river and see dozens of red eyes (being our torches reflecting off the crocodile eyes). So creepy! So I made sure to camp well away from the edge of the river, somewhere I was convinced the crocs could not get to. Like in the photo above – up nice and high on a rock!
I know you’re wondering what on earth this has to do with lychees! Well, put it this way. Now that I’ve described how “hard core adventure” this trip was, is it any surprise to you that we celebrated surviving every day on the river with lychee cocktails? 😉
We didn’t have fresh lychees. We had to take all our food for 3 weeks, cookware, personals, sleeping gear, not to mention safety gear on rafts and we were in 104F/40C+ scorching heat every day. Fresh lychees would not have survived 30 minutes!
So we had to make do with tinned lychees, but they were nowhere near as delicious as fresh ones and our daily cocktail sessions would have been made that much better had we been able to enjoy beautiful lychees, fresh from the tree!!!
PS Seriously. As a girl. Do you know how HARD it was to pack for this trip? You see those red waterproof bags below? We each shared one of those for our personals. Including sleeping bags! For THREE weeks!!
PPS For the Aussies reading this, don’t you just love that we somehow “found room” for a couple of cases of VB? 😉
So every time I see lychees, it reminds me of that trip. And the other standout memory from that trip is freshwater barramundi (“barra”!). Freshwater barra is pretty darn special because it’s only found in a few remote areas in Australia. High end restaurants in Sydney pay an absolute fortune for fresh (rather than frozen) freshwater barra.
Well, let me tell you. Sunset and sundown, there were schools of giant barramundi rushing down the river and the guys were catching them as quickly as they could reel them in. It was a sight to see, that’s for sure!!
Suffice to say, we were enjoying fresh barra for breakfast, lunch and dinner. YES we had sashimi!! We even had soy sauce and wasabi with us in the hope of catching barra!!!
So this Tuna Tartare with Lychees recipe I’m sharing today is inspired by this incredible rafting trip in the Kimberly’s. Sashimi grade freshwater barramundi is a premium fish that’s generally not available to ordinary folk like me, it’s reserved for posh restaurants. So I used tuna, which is much more readily available.
But just like with other raw fish dishes like Ceviche and Poke Bowls, you can make this with any sashimi grade fish you want. It just has to be sashimi grade fish, which means fresh, fresh, fresh!!! Most fish mongers have a sign indicating which fish are sashimi-grade. If not, just ask them which fish are “sashimi-grade”.
I feel like I say those words a lot to my local fish monger. I’m sure he will agree. 😉
I hope you enjoy! – N x
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Tuna Tartare with Lychees
Ingredients
- 200 g/7oz sashimi grade tuna (or any other sashimi grade fish) (Note 1)
- 7 lychees , fresh (Note 2)
- 1 1/2 tbsp large red chili (not a spicy one), very finely diced (Note 3)
- 1/4 cup red onion , very finely diced
- 1 1/2 tbsp coriander/cilantro leaves , finely chopped
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil , plus extra
- 3 tbsp lime juice , plus extra
- 1/2 small avocado , diced (~ 1/2 cup)
- Salt and pepper
To serve
- Sliced sourdough baguette , toasted
- Extra coriander/cilantro leaves
- Lime wedges
Instructions
- Freeze tuna for 20 minutes – just to firm. Slice into 3mm / 1/8″ strips, then cut those strips into 3mm / 1/8″ cubes. Place in a bowl.
- Peel the lychees, then finely dice the flesh and add into the bowl (Note 4). Scrape the juices that pool on the cutting board into the bowl too – don’t waste a drop!
- Add the chili, onion and coriander, olive oil and lime juice into the bowl. Season with a generous pinch of salt and a good grind of pepper.
- Use your fingers to toss together gently. Taste and adjust olive oil, lime and salt to taste.
- Pile on a platter, top with avocado and garnish with coriander/cilantro leaves. Drizzle with more olive oil. Serve immediately (Note 5), with toasted bread and extra lime wedges.
Recipe Notes:
More recipes to make using sparkling fresh fish
This came out surprisingly so delicious! I was hesitant because exotic fruit & fish seem like such an interesting combination but it was delicious. I added in some jicama and ate with tortilla chips. I did feel like it needed to be slightly spicier so next time I’ll add the seeds and membrane of the chili. I also used canned lychee instead of fresh since it’s not currently in season & based off of how delicious that came out, I’m sure fresh lychee would take it over the top.
Hi Nagi – your tuna tartare recipe is absolutely DELICIOUS! I made it for a Christmas Day starter with home made pita chips and it was stunning. Everyone loved it! The fresh lychees are the magical ingredient. Hope you and your loved ones had a great Christmas. Happy holidays xx
Hi Nagi,
Thanks for another quick, easy and delicious recipe. But you forgot something! The recipe for the lychee cocktail!
Screech – yikes! 🙂 Must get onto that! 🙂
That looks interesting! We used to eat lychees when we went to Chinatown as a kid, but the ones in the grocery store in Canada said they were imported from Africa. I’m not sure if I could find them here in Ohio, but I’ve never even heard of canned ones before. Then again I don’t know where I’d find a fishmonger around here either. But it sure would be fun to try and get my husband to eat raw fish, or just eat it it in front of him and freak him out.
Ba ha ha!! Yes, freak him out! This really is sooooo good. I love tuna tartare!!
Yum! I love that you used lychee fruit in this tartare. It looks incredible!
I’ve actually never had lychees. After reading your post, I realize that this needs to chance ASAP! Beautiful recipe.
Gosh, thanks so much Amanda!!! I really do hope you try them, they are so crazy delicious!
LOVE lychee, but have never thought to pair it with fish!! Will have to give a try when summer rolls around.
Thanks so much Jacquee!!!
I love your rafting story and pics! Brave girl. You wouldn’t see me anywhere near those wily crocs! Tic Tok Tik Tok whos afraid of the big bad CROC? ME!!!
The recipe looks great! I’m always happy to eat like royalty at home!
ME TOO!!! Posh EASY restaurant food at home is the best!! 🙂
Raw tuna and lychee! You are after my heart. Lychee is not easy to get here in California so I’ll just have to stare at my computer screen and savor your description. I know it is special! 🙂
Aww, thank you Christine!! You’re so sweet!
I’ve been craving all things tuna as of late (not the canned stuff)! In fact, I have some in my fridge right now. I was planning something else for it, but now I’m rethinking my plan. I’d love to make this on Christmas Eve after putting the little one to bed. I’m envisioning Christmas movies on the couch, cocktails, and this lovely tartare with my husband…
Isn’t it funny how you get cravings?? I’m on a tuna binge myself, I just had a tuna crusted with sesame seeds!!
I’m still contemplating 3 weeks and having to get everything I needed in one bag…wow, that is a serious adventure. Tuna tartare is one of my favorite things to eat in the world – how incredible to have it from a fish you’ve just caught!! Now I’m just hoping I can get my hands on some lychees…I’m not sure I’ve seen them..any thoughts on a substitute?
Canned? 😉 N xxx
Wow this looks stunning Nagi! All of my favourite ingredients. I have never tried lychees and tuna together-perfect summer food 🙂
It’s summer on a plate! 🙂 N x
Lychees were not common in Maine. What am I talking about – I never saw a lychee before moving to Australia. I had a lychee cocktail one day and John said, “We should buy some fresh ones, one day.”
“Fresh ones? Where??”
That started my love affair with fresh lychees. John enjoyed some on some oysters the other day but this tuna tartare and lychees looks wonderful.
I can’t imagine 3 weeks in a shared bag that small. It must have been a wonderful experience.
Oooh! OYSTERS and lychees – Maureen, you are a genius! I’m doing that on Christmas Day!! 🙂
I think this would be perfect on NYE as a starter course. I love the look of lychees but have never worked with them. Time to change that! Also your friend Rob is a fox.
OMG I wish you didn’t write that. His head is going to get SO big.
This combination is GENIUS! Why has no one invented a way for me to reach into my computer screen and grab that plate of gorgeousness. The next time my husband comes home with a fresh caught tuna, this will DEFINITELY be on the menu. You are a VERY brave woman. I love river rafting and have done it on the North Umpqua River in Oregon, But don’t think you could ever convince me to do it on croc infested waters.
Awww, thank you so much Ann!! <3
beautiful! i miss lychee. We used to eat it so much in Hawaii. And tuna tartar! Maybe we should make this dish and reminisce. Sigh… love it!
I BET YOU DID!!! Is it possible to overload on lychees?? 😉
This has completely inspired me! I adore fresh fish tartare, but have never had any idea what to do with lychees so I can’t wait to give this recipe a try. It looks divine.
Thank you so much Amanda, you’re so sweet! 🙂
I am completely with you on the comment you made on using fresh lychees. I absolutely love them. The pics looks fabulous as always and what beautiful memories 🙂
Yay! Fellow lychee lover! 🙂 N x
Yuuuuuummmm! Fresh lychees are my favourite fruit but in a million years I’d never have thought of pairing them with sashimi and now I’m wondering why not. Such a pretty plate of food – I don’t think I’d be sharing that with anyone 🙂
Gosh Nancy, thank you!!! Aren’t lychees the best? I could eat them all day!! N x
You know you couldn’t be more right, sometimes we eat very expensive posh food at restaurants and you later find out you can make the same thing in your kitchen for less. Your tuna tartare looks 7 star!! well done
PS: Your rafting trip story just makes me want to pack right now, i have Australia on my travel bucket list!!
I think you need to move Australia to the TOP of your bucket list!!! 🙂