Tuna Crudo with Local Plums and Ginger – Recipe by Chef Raphaël Vézina
A rumor is spreading in the capital: Laurie Raphaël, a pillar of Quebec City’s fine dining scene, has a new little sibling (brother or sister – depending on how you see it): Lueur. They serve there a dish called: Tuna Crudo with Local Plums and Ginger.
That was enough to whet our appetite, so we paid a visit to Chef Raphaël Vézina and his sister and business partner, Laurie-Alex, in their tiny 14-seat restaurant, nestled in the former La Serre space, right next to Laurie Raphaël.
At Lueur, the chef and his two companions, Michelle Courtois-Beaudry and Nicolas Cadieux, shine a spotlight on the region’s finest ingredients with a concept inspired by Japanese omakase: the chefs themselves serve you at the kitchen-bar, where you can watch them cook to your heart’s content.
To give us a sneak peek of the menu, Raphaël agreed to prepare one of the dishes he was about to add: a Gaspé tuna crudo, drizzled with a vinaigrette made from Quebec red plum juice, topped with slices of fresh plums, marinated ginger (local, of course!), and julienned beets.
No need to tell you, it tasted as fresh as the morning breeze over the river! The best part? The chef generously shared the recipe with us so you can try it at home (but we still highly recommend you experience it at Lueur). 😉
Bon appétit!
Crudo de thon with prunes and ginger from Québec
Ingredients for Crudo:
- 100g of thinly sliced fresh bluefin tuna
- Red plum vinaigrette (recipe below)
- A fresh Québec plum, diced into small pieces
- Thinly sliced marinated fresh ginger from Québec (recipe below)
- Raw beet cut into fine julienne strips
- Edible flowers (optional, for garnish)
Preparation:
- Arrange the tuna slices in a shallow dish.
- Generously coat the fish with the plum vinaigrette.
- Add thin slices of marinated wild ginger on top of the tuna, ensuring each bite has a bit of ginger.
- Sprinkle small pieces of fresh plum and beet juliennes over the dish.
- Garnish with edible flowers as desired.
- Serve and enjoy!
Marinated Ginger:
Ingredients:
- One root of wild ginger from Québec (regular ginger can be substituted)
- 100 ml of good-quality rice vinegar
Preparation:
- Bring the rice vinegar to a boil.
- Slice the wild ginger root (or regular ginger) and submerge the pieces in the vinegar.
- Remove from heat and allow the ginger to marinate for 24 hours.
Red Plum Vinaigrette:
Ingredients:
- 100 ml of red plum purée
- 30 ml of garum (fermented fish sauce) or soy sauce
- 30 ml of the rice vinegar used for marinating the ginger
- 50 ml of vegetable oil
- 10 ml of roasted camelina oil
Preparation:
- To make the plum purée, blend about ¾ cup of red plums at a low speed to avoid breaking the pits, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve.
- Combine all ingredients and whisk until smooth.
