Without sacrificing an ounce of pleasure, the charcuteries of the sea have become the unexpected guests of the aperitif. With its briny freshness, matured and smoked bluefin tuna belly bridges haute cuisine and the picnic.
How was matured bluefin tuna belly born?
This matured bluefin tuna belly was born in the realm of the very finest gastronomy: a haute couture creation, a testament to the time devoted to it. Ángel León, nicknamed the “chef of the sea”, astonished the world at the 2021 edition of Madrid Fusión, the great gastronomic congress. There, the chef of the restaurant Aponiente presented what he christened jamón del mar, the “ham of the sea”: a bluefin tuna belly, the fattiest and noblest part of the fish, worked and sliced in the manner of a great Bellota ham. It belongs to the movement of sea charcuterie he has been exploring for years.
The idea came to him on a journey to Asia, before an unusual cut of tuna. It led him to unite two worlds: the art of Mediterranean curing and that of Japanese sashimi. His ham of the sea was born.
For his jamón del mar, the belly is cut with great precision, then dried for about ten days: time and air give it its texture. Once sliced, its pink colour and naturally marbled fat recall the finest hams.
The result? A briny flavour, a texture lighter than charcuterie from the land, and a silky fat that melts away on the palate.
Maison DEHESA bluefin tuna belly, matured and smoked
Our bluefin tuna is caught off the Atlantic coast of Spain by almadraba, an ancestral technique. The belly is then cut, matured in a chamber and smoked, to achieve a texture between smoked fish and sashimi, half-cooked, half-raw. All this care heightens its mineral, silky fat. Once ready, it is finely sliced, like a carpaccio.
How to serve it
With its very fine slices, bluefin tuna belly is enjoyed as a carpaccio, ready to plate. Before opening the vacuum pack, hold it under lukewarm water for a few seconds: the slices return to room temperature and separate perfectly. Serve it just as it is, with a drizzle of Haru olive oil. The house pairing is another treasure of the sea: the oyster, raw or barely poached. Their briny notes answer each other in a single mouthful.
Best of all is to find your own way of enjoying it, and to share it with us. #maisondehesa
Enjoy.
Source: Información Gastronómica, Ángel León’s creation presented at Madrid Fusión