Recipe: Ricardo Zarate’s Sea Bass Tiradito

Tomorrow on Good Food, Evan interviews Peruvian born chef Ricardo Zarate about the food of his homeland. Zarate is the chef and co-owner behind two popular LA restaurants Mo Chica and Picca. They discuss the use of grains and corn in the Peruvian pantry as well as the alpaca meat that appears on the menu at Mo Chica.

Zarate has quite a bit of Japanese training under his belt and you can see his knife skills in dishes like this Sea Bass Tiradito, similar to Japanese sashimi, that is on the menu at Mo Chica. This Sunday launches Ceviche Nights at Mo Chica, a collaborative effort that pushes the boundaries of ceviche. The series of events bring together some of LA’s top chefs (this week it’s Josiah Citrin and cocktail chef Matthew Biancaniello alongside Zarate) and serve as a preview for Zarate’s third concept – Paiche – due to open next year in Marina del Rey. Keep reading for Zarate’s Tiradito recipe and ingredient sourcing guide….

SEA BASS TIRADITO

Courtesy of Chef Ricardo Zarate

(Makes 4 Servings)

Aji Amarillo Paste:

• 1 lb aji amarillo

Deseed and devein the aji amarillo

Blanch three times in boiling water and an ice water bath, respectively

Scoop out the softened flesh to create the paste and set aside

Aji Amarillo Sauce:

• 2 oz aji amarillo paste

• 2 oz lime juice

• 2 oz olive oil

Whisk all ingredients in a bowl and set aside

Sea Bass Tiradito

• 20 oz Sushi-grade sea bass filet (cleaned)

• 1 lb red yam

• 4 Tbl sugar

• ½ oz cinnamon stick

• 1 ea red yam finely sliced lengthwise

• 1 tsp ginger paste*

• 1 tsp garlic paste*

• 1 Tbs sesame oil

• 2 Tbs soy sauce

• ½ tsp. cilantro (julienned)

* To create the ginger and garlic paste, peel the ingredients and then grate them with a microplane to yield the desired amounts

METHOD

Slice sea bass filet into 20 sashimi slices to yield thin 1 oz slices approximately 1” x 2”

Boil red yam until cooked with sugar & cinnamon water in one liter of water

Pass cooked yam through a food mill to form a puree

Slice red yam very thin lengthwise and deep fry it

On a plate, horizontally lay 5 slices of sea bass evenly spaced

Rub the sashimi slices with a touch of ginger and garlic pastes

Blowtorch the slices of sea bass until surface is seared

Drizzle sea bass with sesame oil, aji amarillo sauce, and soy sauce (one at a time, in this order) and top with cilantro

Place yam puree on the center of the plate and garnish it with 3 pieces of red yam crisps

NOTES:

• Blowtorch: if a blowtorch is not available, heat equal parts of sesame oil with olive oil until it begins to smoke and pour it over the sea bass to sear the surface.

• Red yam is available in most grocery stores; if not found, any sweet potato can be substituted

• Aji amarillo is available in South American grocery stores and online. See below where to find it in LA:

Palms supermarket

310.202.1230

3568 Motor Ave

Los AngelesCamaguey Market

310.839.4037

10925 Venice Blvd

Los Angeles

Baja Ranch Market

626.577.0343

475 East Orange Grove Blvd

PasadenaYou can also like find aji amarillo at Food4less and Jons markets (usually in latin communities).