Spicy Tuna Tartare with Pickled Daikon (Tuna Tataki) is very simple to make, as most tataki dishes are. My tuna tartare has a kick of spiciness from the Korean chilli paste, gochujang. The crunchy texture of the pickled daikon contrasts beautifully with the soft flesh of the finely chopped sashimi tuna.
As mentioned in my posts Kingfish Tataki and Bonito Tataki, there are two different tataki dishes – one similar to fish tartare and the other made with a seared fish fillet. Today’s recipe is a tuna tartare with a Japanese and Korean twist.
Our family Christmas has always been held at my place, and the dishes are made by those who love cooking. Last year’s theme was for each household to bring an assigned course of a full-course meal. I was tasked with making starters.
My pick of two dishes were – tuna tartare (today’s recipe) and tuna carpaccio with yuzu kosho dressing.
The starters at the Maehashi family Christmas.
I wanted to make something with sashimi (I love sashimi!) but didn’t want to go to the Sydney Fish Market on Christmas Eve, as it is always packed with thousands of people wanting to buy fresh seafood. So, I bought frozen sashimi tuna from a Japanese grocery store a week before Christmas Day.
About Pickled Daikon – Takuan
There are many ways of pickling daikon. The pickled daikon I used today is called ‘takuan‘ (沢庵).
Based on common knowledge, a Zen monk named Takuan Sōhō (沢庵宗彭) invented takuan in the early Edo period. It is a traditional Japanese pickle that represents Japan.
Takuan is made by removing excess moisture from the daikon, then pickling it in rice bran called ‘nuka’ (糠), together with sugar, salt, and other seasonings.
The colour of takuan varies from pale brownish yellow to bright yellow (see the photo below). Daikon becomes pale yellow when pickled in rice bran, but sometimes dried gardenia fruit is added to give it a brighter yellow colour. Some takuan may also contain artificial colouring to enhance the brightness.
Varieties of takuan with different shades of yellow.
Depending on the proportion of sugar and salt in the pickling mixture, the flavour of takuan may lean towards the sweet side or the salty side.
The main characteristic of takuan is its crisp, crunchy texture with a firm bite. It is a typical accompaniment to rice and a true soul food staple. It is used as a filling for Onigiri (Japanese Rice Ball) as well as sushi rolls such as Temakizushi (Hand rolled sushi).
You can buy takuan at Japanese/Asian grocery stores, usually in the fridge section.
What’s in Spicy Tuna Tartare with Pickled Daikon (Tuna Tataki)
- Sashimi tuna, cut into small cubes
- Takuan (pickled daikon), cut into very small cubes
- Finely chopped spring onion.
In the case of tuna, you don’t need to make perfect cubes. As long as the tuna pieces are small, that’s all you need.
Because of the crunchy texture and the flavour of the takuan, I cubed it into marginally smaller pieces than the tuna pieces so that the takuan would not be overpowering when eaten together.
Flavouring
- Grated garlic
- Soy sauce
- Sesame oil
- Gochujang (Korean chilli paste).
Topping
- Roasted white sesame seeds (not in the photo above, optional).
How to Make Spicy Tuna Tartare with Pickled Daikon (Tuna Tataki)
- Take tuna and takuan together and make a flat pile on a cutting board and mince them using a knife.
- Mix the chopped green onion into the tataki and transfer to a bowl.
- Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.
- Serve topped with roasted sesame seeds, if using.
I served the tataki in a dome shape so that the white sesame seeds sat on the surface without falling into the cracks. However, shaping is optional. Simply piling the tataki onto a serving plate or into a bowl works just fine.
Today’s recipe, Spicy Tuna Tartare with Pickled Daikon (Tuna Tataki), was inspired by the sushi rolls my late sister loved. It is called ‘torotaku maki’ (とろたく巻き/トロたく巻き). Torotaku refers to a sushi topping or roll made by combining fatty tuna (ōtoro in Japanese) with takuan. As you can guess, the name ‘torotaku’ came from these two words.
The photo below shows torotaku maki (the left) along with negitoro maki (those with green bits – chopped spring onion).
Torotaku maki (left) and negitoro maki (right).
Yumiko
Spicy Tuna Tartare with Pickled Daikon (Tuna Tataki) is very simple to make, as most tataki dishes are. My tuna tataki has a kick of spiciness from gochujang (Korean chilli paste). The crunchy texture of pickled daikon contrasts beautifully with the soft flesh of sashimi tuna.
It can be served as a side or a starter.
- 150g / 5.3oz sashimi tuna (note 1)
- 40g / 1.4oz takuan (pickled daikon)
- 1 tbsp spring onion finely chopped
- ¾ tsp garlic grated
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp gochujang (Korean chilli paste)
- Roasted white sesame seeds (optional)
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Cut the sashimi tuna into 7-10mm/¼-⅜” cubes.
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Cut takuan into 5mm/ 3⁄16” cubes.
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Put the tuna and takuan on a cutting board, forming a flat pile.
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Mince them further by repeatedly dropping the blade onto the pile (note 2). Occasionally mix the pile to distribute the takuan evenly.
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Add the spring onion and mix.
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Put the tataki mixture in a bowl, add the Flavouring ingredients, and mix well.
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Transfer the tataki to serving bowls/plates, shaping a dome if you wish. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top if using.
1. I used the lean red part of sashimi tuna. The colour of tuna flesh varies depending on the species and cut. If you use the fatty pink part of tuna (ōtoro), your tataki will be richer and the colour will be pinkish.
2. Use two knives if you wish.
3. Nutrition per serving assuming 2 servings.
serving: 130g calories: 156kcal fat: 6.2g (9%) saturated fat: 1.3g (7%) trans fat: 0g polyunsaturated fat: 2.1g monounsaturated fat: 2g cholesterol: 29mg (10%) sodium: 573mg (24%) carbohydrates: 6.2g (2%) dietary fibre: 2.1g (8%) sugar: 0.0g protein: 19.2g vitamin a: 4.3mcg (28%) calcium: 45mg (1%) iron: 1.4mg (5%) potassium: 449mg (13%)
Meal Ideas
A typical Japanese meal consists of a main dish, a couple of side dishes, a soup and rice. I try to come up with a combination of dishes with a variety of flavours, colours, textures and make-ahead dishes.
I like seafood, particularly raw fish. Accordingly, I posted quite a few dishes using sashimi tuna.
Here is the list of dishes that use sashimi tuna as the hero ingredient (in no particular order).
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- Spicy Tuna Tartare with Pickled Daikon (Tuna Tataki) – Today’s dish.
- Spicy Tuna Rolls
- Negitoro Don (Minced Raw Tuna on Rice)
- Tuna and Avocado Rice Bowl (Donburi)
- Tuna Sashimi Salad with Garlic Sesame Dressing
- Tuna Tataki (Seared Tuna) with Ponzu
- Marinated Sashimi Tuna
- Maguro no Zuke-don (Marinated Tuna on Rice)
I had no idea one could buy frozen sashimi-grade tuna in Sydney – especially one deemed suitable by an accomplished Japanese chef such as you. Lesson learnt! Have never pickled my daikon but the Korean gochujang is a beloved ingredient to use. Thank you for the lesson!