Tuna crudo with roasted eggplant, harissa, egg and cumin mayonnaise

Name: Tuna crudo with roasted eggplant, harissa, egg and cumin mayonnaise
Cook time: 1 h
Yield: 4-6
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Ingredients: 1 large eggplant; 300g prime tuna steak; extra virgin olive oil; salt flakes; freshly ground black pepper; 1½ tsp ground cumin; 2 tbsp mayonnaise (preferably homemade); 2 tbsp fresh harissa (you can find my recipe at goodfood.com.au) or less of a commercial version (they can be very fiery); 1 lemon, peeled and segmented; 2 hardboiled eggs; 1 handful coriander leaves; 1 tbsp nigella seeds

January 14, 2014

Tuna crudo with roasted eggplant, egg, harissa and cumin mayonaise.Jessica Dale

Time:30 mins - 1 hourServes:4-6

This dish has a distinct spicy accent but at the same time is quite delicate and refined. The eggplant steams in its own skin, resulting in silky flesh, which works well with the jewel-like raw tuna. Serve it as a tapas-sized portion or as an entree.

Ingredients

1 large eggplant
300g prime tuna steak
extra virgin olive oil
salt flakes
freshly ground black pepper
1½ tsp ground cumin
2 tbsp mayonnaise (preferably homemade)
2 tbsp fresh harissa (you can find my recipe at goodfood.com.au) or less of a commercial version (they can be very fiery)
1 lemon, peeled and segmented
2 hardboiled eggs
1 handful coriander leaves
1 tbsp nigella seeds

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C fan-forced or 200C conventional.
2. Prick the eggplant all over and bake for 30 minutes or until cooked through. Set aside to cool, cut in half and scoop out the flesh. Cut the flesh into 1.5-centimetre cubes and drain on paper towels at room temperature.
3. Dice the tuna into 1.5-centimetre cubes and toss in a little olive oil, season and mix through (do this on a plate or it will clump together). Season the eggplant pieces, then add them to the tuna and mix.
4. Mix the cumin through the mayonnaise (if it's too stiff, loosen with a little lemon juice) and dollop a little on each plate. Top with the tuna mix, a little harissa and some lemon segments, grate over the egg white, crumble over the yolk, scatter over the coriander leaves and nigella seeds, drizzle with olive oil and serve.
Drink: A softer textural rose