An L.A. Original
A look back at Chaya Brasserie's tuna tartare
L.A. gave the food world the Cobb salad and the French Dip sandwich, but another local culinary innovation has dominated for two decades: tuna tartare. Chef Shigefume Tachibe first put the dish on the menu at Chaya Brasserie in 1983, and now it's served just about everywhere, made with everything from mango to pears, prunes and butternut squash--but the original still tops our list.
Tachibe wasn't the first chef to ever serve chopped raw fish, but he believes he was the first to riff on classic steak tartare by mixing cubes of pink, raw tuna with egg, chopped pickles and onion. He had to call it "tuna tartare," a perfect example of his Franco-Japanese cuisine. Served with avocado and a squeeze of lemon, it's a pure and simple dish. We're obviously not the only fans: Chaya still sells more than 35,000 orders a year.
At Chaya Venice, the tartare is spiked with wasabi; in San Francisco, it's with apple and chile-miso vinaigrette. But you can still find the original recipe at the Beverly Hills and new downtown locations--and here, for you to make at home.
Chaya Brasserie's Tuna Tartare
Recipe from Shigefume Tachibe
Makes 6 to 8 servings
1 pound sushi-grade bigeye or ahi tuna, cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon finely chopped sweet pickles
1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
1 pinch finely chopped tarragon
1 tablespoon finely chopped chives
1 tablespoon finely chopped green peppercorns
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 avocado, thinly sliced cross-wise
Melba toasts or crostini, for serving
In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the Dijon mustard. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until emulsified and mayonnaise-like. Stir in the pickles, onion, tarragon, chives and peppercorns. Stir in the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Fold the dressing into the tuna, spread on toasts or crostini and top with a slice of avocado.
Chaya Brasserie, 8741 Alden Dr., Beverly Hills; 310-859-8833 or thechaya.com
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