LOBSTER SALAD WITH WASABI MAYO AND SLICED AVOCADOS

I had about a cup of leftover lobster meat from a 2.5 pound steamed crustacean that was purchased the day before and wanted to use it to make a lobster salad.  This isn't anything new.  There are so many lobster salad recipes out there, but as I was chopping the celery that is found in virtually every recipe, I thought about trying something new.  Well, maybe it's not new, but to me it is. Instead of the traditional mayonnaise that is also found in every lobster salad, I decided to mix the mayonnaise with some wasabi mayonnaise, which is always on hand.  

I served the salad on a bed of lettuce with sliced avocados and white bell peppers that we picked up from our local farmers' market.  The wasabi-based mayo added just enough heat to compliment the sweetness of the lobster, and the creaminess of the ripe avocado just completed the dish.  The "leftover" legs were also fun to gnaw on!

1 cup of cooked lobster meat, chopped into 1/2" pieces
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup celery, diced
1/3 cup mayo (a mixture of two-parts regular mayo with one-part wasabi* mayo)
0.25 teaspoon of Himalayan pink salt
2 cups chopped greens
1 Haas avocado peeled and cut into slices
1/2 cup of white bell pepper, sliced (or any bell pepper)

Sprinkle lobster meat with fresh lemon juice. 

Mix together the diced celery, mayo mixture, lobster meat and salt.  Chill until ready to plate.

Peel avocado and cut into slices.  Brush fresh lemon juice to prevent avocado from discoloring.

On a plate, arrange a bed of greens.  Place lobster salad in the center.  Arrange sliced avocado and peppers around salad.  Serves 2

*Wasabi mayo is found at Asian specialty stores, but if not available, mix wasabi paste with regular mayo.

TUNA PIZZA WITH ANCHOVY AIOLI TOPPED WITH A DOLLOP OF WASABI MAYONNAISE

This is an adaptation of Iron Chef Morimoto's Tuna Pizza recipe that is served at his restaurant in NYC and also featured in his Cookbook, "Morimoto, The New Art of Japanese Cooking".  http://www.amazon.com/Morimoto-The-New-Japanese-Cooking/dp/0756631238/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1331999113&sr=1-1

As a finishing touch, I add a dollop of wasabi mayonnaise.  Also, I really enjoy using ground flour tortillas as an "instant" pizza base.  It certainly saves a lot of time by not having to make dough from scratch or purchasing it from the frozen food section at the grocery store.  Does this mean it's semi-home made?

Tuna Pizza

4 flour tortillas, about 7 inches in diameter

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
10 ounces sushi-grade tuna, thinly sliced
2 fresh jalapeno peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
1/2 cup red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
Anchovy sauce (recipe follows)
Wasabi mayonnaise (available in Asian specialty stores), or made at home with mayonnaise (Kewpie) and wasabi paste as a garnish, optional
1/4 cup cilantro leaves for garnish

Set a cast iron grill pan over medium heat.  Brush each tortilla lightly on both sides with olive oil.
Grill for 1-2 minutes, until the tortillas are fairly crisp.  Turn tortillas over and grill until the second side is crisp.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Drizzle some anchovy sauce on each tortilla. Then arrange tuna slices on each one.  Scatter the jalapeno peppers, red onions, and cherry tomatoes over the tortilla.  Drizzle more anchovy sauce over vegetables.  Add a dollop of wasabi mayonnaise (if using) and top with cilantro leaves.   Serves 4 as an appetizer or 2 as a main pizza course.

Anchovy Aioli

2 egg yolks
1 Tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons anchovy paste
1/4 teaspoon light soy sauce
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

In a food processor, combine the egg yolks, vinegar, lemon juice, anchovy paste, and soy sauce.  Blend well. While machine is running, slowly add the olive oil in a thin stream, until aioli is emulsified.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Tuna Pizza at Morimoto Restaurant

SASHIMI COCKTAIL WITH TUNA AND SALMON

Sashimi Cocktail

“New style sashimi in a martini glass”

I've always enjoyed Nobu's "New Style Sashimi" and have been making it for at least a decade.  This is a little bit of  a spin on the dish, but the underlying ingredients are there.  Sushi-grade tuna and salmon are served with a yuzu and a soy vinaigrette, lightly cooked with a combination of warm oils, then topped with soy and bamboo smoked sesame seeds, paddlefish caviar, pickled ginger and wasabi, garnished with a salmon skin crackle.  The "garnishes" are the fun part.  The salmon skin crackles are a very tasty garnish--sort of like the "olive" in a martini.

Ingredients

·         8 oz. Sushi-grade Salmon, skins reserved

·         8 oz. Sushi-grade Tuna

·         4 Tablespoons Soy Sauce

·         4 Tablespoons Yuzu Juice

·         2 Tablespoons Minced Garlic

·         14 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

·         4 Tablespoons Sesame Oil

·         1 Tablespoon Soy Sesame Seed (or White)

·         1 Tablespoon Bamboo Smoked Sesame Seed (or Black)

·         2 Tablespoons of Paddlefish caviar (or the real stuff )

·         1/4 cup of Daikon, shredded on a Japanese spiral slicer

·         2 Scallions cut on the diagonal

·         8 pieces of Pickled Ginger, for garnish

·         Fresh Wasabi Root, grated on a shark-skin grater (or the tube stuff) for garnish

Make the salmon skin crackles:  Cut salmon skins into 1-inch strips. Heat a sauté pan.  Add about 2 Tablespoons of the oil and fry salmon skins until very crisp. Remove from pan; place on paper towels and set aside.  When cooled down, thread onto stainless steel or bamboo mini skewers. This is the garnish.

Mix the soy and yuzu juices with garlic; set aside.

Cut the salmon and tuna into 1/2" chunks. 

Combine the olive oil and sesame oil in a nonreactive small saucepan. Set over moderately high heat and bring almost to a boil (about 200°); the surface will shimmer. Remove from the heat and  set aside.

To make the martini (or plate):

Line the bottom of four chilled martini glasses with the shredded daikon. Place equal portions of salmon and tuna in each glass. Drizzle the soy/yuzu/garlic mixture on each serving.  Then, pour the warm oil mixture on each one to "lightly" sear the fish.  Sprinkle the scallions and  both sesame seeds on each.  Add a dollop of caviar and about two slices of ginger, and another dollop of wasabi on each.  Garnish each with a salmon skin crackle. Serves 4