#Recipe

Cured bluefin tuna, egg and truffle

Rafael Gomes, chef at the Escama restaurant (Porto) and Portugal's semi-finalist in Chef Balfegó 2023, presented this magnificent recipe with Balfegó bluefin tuna loin as the main ingredient.

#Recipe

Elaboration

Liquid brine

Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan. Stir well and bring to the boil over high heat. When boiling, turn off and let cool naturally.

Cured bluefin tuna

Cut the tuna into 800 g pieces and dip them in the brine, leave to cure for 24 hours. Remove the tuna from the brine and dry well on absorbent paper.
Wrap the tuna in the kombu seaweed and smoke for about 20 minutes.
Vacuum seal at 99% and store for 4 days in water and ice in the refrigerator.

Confit egg yolk

Separate the whites from the yolks and place the yolks in a bowl with the olive oil. Bake in a bain-marie at 68ºC for 25 minutes.

Mustard mayonnaise

Vacuum seal the beaten yolks and cook sous-vide for 35 minutes at 67°C and allow to cool thoroughly. Mix the water and mustard and add the cooked yolks.
Whisk the mixture and add the oil while whisking. Season with salt and lemon juice. Leave to cool.

Pickle liquor

In a saucepan, combine all the ingredients except the sparkling wine and lemon zest. Stir well to dissolve the sugar and bring to the boil.
Turn off the heat and add the sparkling wine and lime. Leave to cool.

Pickled mustard seeds

Pour the mustard seeds into a saucepan and cover with water, bring to the boil over high heat and strain. Repeat this process 8 times.
Add the strained seeds to the pickle liquor and keep for at least 7 days in cold storage.

Tempura

Grind the xanthan gum together with the very cold water for 30 sec. Add the remaining ingredients and blend until a homogeneous paste is formed. Strain through a cheesecloth and place in a siphon. Stir well and leave to soak overnight before using.
Pour into a bowl and fry until golden brown. Season with chilli.