TUNA WONTON CRISP

Yet again I have failed to find a name for this Canapé that invokes utter sophistication. But do forgive me!  Once you taste them…I’m sure you will. The name certainly does not do this bite justice, though I was trying to be pragmatic. Further, I didn’t want to indulge in any form of foodie fusion/ culturally insensitive Japanese lingo... I’ll leave that to supermarket recipe books.

This canapé is simple and sophisticated! Sophisticated in both flavors and appearance and also elegant. The perfect partner for a fine French bubbly. Yes, it draws inspiration from Japanese flavors…a post-modern approach to fusion food.

I love making these for my girlfriends, as they are super light, delicate and great complements to mischievous girl talk. Between bouts of hilarity, Champagne top ups and perhaps a sneaky cigarette, these little bites seamlessly pop into the mouths of my dear friends. Voila… before you know it, the whole group is tremendously jolly, satisfied and most importantly, they don’t feel like they have over indulged!

Captive companions: Sophie, Kristy and Liv...my eternal girlfriends

Captive location: Poolside at Sophie’s Hamptons Maison

Captivating comment: “Where did all the champagne go?”

Captive drop: A bottle (or perhaps two) of Perrier-Jouet

INGREDIENTS

5 Taiwanese rice crackers or 10 wonton wrappers

2 tablespoons of Japanese mayonnaise

1 teaspoon of wasabi

250g of sashimi tuna (sliced into bite sized piece)

4 pieces of canned pear (sliced thinly)

Bunch of micro herbs: cress is best, though normal cress will also work

1.     Mix mayonnaise with wasabi. Alter according to your guest’s wasabi taste bud threshold.

2.     Break rice cakes into small bite size piece. For a more refined shape, use wonton wrappers. See note

3.     Lay tuna onto each rice cake

4.     Top with wasabi mayonnaise mix

5.     Add a piece of pear and finally a few micro herbs for garnish. Serve immediately so that rice cake retains its crunch

Note: The original recipe uses fried wonton wrappers instead of Taiwanese rice cakes. This makes each bite evenly square. To prepare, cut wonton wrappers in 4 even squares. Shallow fry the squares in vegetable oil, usually only a minute on each side (until golden brown, but be extra careful that they do not burn), then drain onto paper towel.

Recipe Source: Mark Pearce of Treat Catering Melbourne. One of my foodie mentors!