Hamachi Crudo with Yuzu Ponzu Sauce

When Hanna and I first started dating, we accidentally created a birthday tradition where we make each other a multi-course dinner on the day of our birthdays. This year, I did a three-course meal that featured an Oyster Bar inspired seafood pan roast, a Hong Kong-style mango pancake, and Hanna’s favorite dish of the night – this hamachi crudo dressed with a yuzu ponzu sauce. The hamachi crudo was visually stunning, light, tart, and the perfect way to start dinner. If you’re looking for a super easy appetizer to make to impress a special someone in your life, give this hamachi crudo a try!

What is Hamachi Crudo?

Hamachi crudo is a dish featuring raw yellowtail fish, also known as hamachi, typically served in a style that emphasizes freshness and clean flavors. The word “crudo” is Italian for “raw,” and in the culinary world, it means serving raw fish or seafood with a variety of seasonings and accompaniments.

This dish is a beautiful blend of Japanese and Italian culinary traditions. It combines the high-quality, fresh fish typical of Japanese sashimi with the simple, fresh preparations characteristic of Italian crudo. It’s a perfect example of how two different culinary worlds can come together to create something truly special.

What’s in Hamachi Crudo?

• Hamachi: This is the star of the dish. Hamachi is a yellowtail fish known for its rich, buttery texture and mild flavor.
• Seasonings: To bring out the best in the hamachi, it’s often dressed with citrus juice like lemon or lime. This version uses yuzu juice and ponzu sauce for a savory umami kick.
• Accompaniments: We’re pairing our hamachi with a light pickled herb salad made with thinly sliced shallots and cilantro.
• Garnishes: To make the dish look as good as it tastes, we’ll garnish our hamachi crudo with serrano, lemon zest, and flakey salt.

Notes:

The first time I made this dish, I used minced garlic in the yuzu ponzu sauce, and while I thoroughly enjoyed how it tasted, I didn’t love that my sauce didn’t come out super smooth and silky. The second time I made the hamachi crudo, I opted to use garlic powder instead, and to my dismay, the garlic powder didn’t entirely dissolve, giving my sauce a grainier finish.
My suggestion would be to smash whole garlic cloves and let them steep in the sauce to impart the garlic flavor without adding any additional texture.