Chef’s Note
Keep the beer ice cold and the batter lightly mixed for the crispiest lemon chips. Fry in small batches to maintain oil temperature. Always coat the tuna in spices after searing so they stay fragrant and never burn. For extra brightness, finish the plate with a fresh squeeze of Meyer lemon.
This dish is flexible. Serve the lemon chips with green ranch, swap tuna for salmon, add pickled shallots for more acidity, or plate it as a refined small bite for a dinner party.
Fish and Chips with Fried Meyer Lemon and Seared Bluefin Tuna
Ingredients
Fried Meyer Lemon Chips
- 2 to 3 Meyer lemons thinly sliced
- 120 g all-purpose flour 1 cup, plus extra for dusting
- 60 g potato starch 1/2 cup
- 8 g paprika 1 tablespoon
- 8 g garlic powder 1 tablespoon
- 7 g kosher salt 1/2 tablespoon
- Very cold light lager beer about 240 ml to 300 ml (1 to 1 1/4 cups), added as needed
- Neutral oil for frying
Seared Bluefin Tuna
- 340 g to 450 g bluefin tuna loin 12 to 16 ounces
- Neutral oil
- Salt
Tuna Spice Blend
- 8 g fennel seed 1 tablespoon
- 8 g green peppercorn 1 tablespoon
- 3 g dehydrated jalapeño slices crushed (about 1/2 tablespoon)
Chimichurri
- 30 g fresh parsley finely chopped (1 packed cup)
- 10 g fresh cilantro finely chopped (1/4 cup)
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 small red chili finely chopped
- 120 ml extra virgin olive oil 1/2 cup
- 30 ml red wine vinegar 2 tablespoons
- 5 g kosher salt 1 teaspoon, adjust to taste
- Fresh cracked black pepper
Instructions
Fried Lemon Chips
- Slice and Prep. Thinly slice Meyer lemons (about 2–3 credit cards thick). Lay on a tray and lightly dust with flour.
- Make the Batter. Whisk flour, potato starch, paprika, garlic powder, and salt. Slowly add very cold lager beer until the batter is thin like crepe batter. It should lightly coat, not be thick.
- Heat neutral oil to 375°F / 190°C to fry the lemon chips.
- Dip lemon slices into batter, let excess drip off, and fry 2–3 minutes until golden and crisp.
- Transfer to a rack and season immediately with flaky salt.
Seared Bluefin Tuna
- Make the Spice Blend
- Toast fennel seed and green peppercorn in a dry pan until fragrant.
- Add dehydrated jalapeño and grind to a coarse texture.
- Sear the Tuna. Heat a pan over high heat. Lightly oil and salt the tuna.
- Sear 30–45 seconds per side until browned outside and rare inside.
- Immediately roll the hot tuna in the spice blend to coat.
- Rest a few minutes, then slice thinly and fan onto a plate.
Chimichurri
- Combine parsley, cilantro, garlic, red chili, olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, and black pepper.
- Let sit at least 20 minutes before serving. Adjust vinegar and salt to taste.