Tuna carpaccio

Ingredients

• Sushi-quality yellowfin tuna: 4 pieces (4 oz/113g each)
• Fine Sea salt
• Freshly ground white pepper
• Extra-virgin olive oil : 4 tbsp
• Thinly sliced fresh chives : 2 tsp
• Lemon halved and seed : 1
• Toasted baguette slices: For serving

Instructions

1. 1

   Cover a work surface,such as a counter or table,with a large sheet of plastic wrap. Place 1 piece of tuna (cut ½ inch thick) in the center and cover it with another large sheet of plastic.

2. 2

   Flatten the tuna with a meat pounder (or a heavy-bottomed saucepan),using a fluid motion that combines hitting the tuna in the center and sliding the surface of the pounder over the fish,pressing it outward. Continue pounding and pressing out the tuna until it forms a very thin,even round,about 9 inches in diameter.

3. 3

   Place an 8-inch round plate,bowl,or cake pan to use as a cutting guide over the tuna (still keeping the fish covered with plastic) and use a sharp knife to cut through the tuna and both layers of plastics,resulting in an 8-inch round. Leave the plastic on the tuna and transfer to a sheet pan. Repeat with each portion of tuna. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

4. 4

   When ready to serve,pull the top plastic sheet off one tuna round and place the tuna on the center of a large dinner plate,plastic side up. Remove the plastic from the top of the tuna. Repeat with the remaining 3 tuna rounds.

5. 5

   Season each round with salt and white pepper. Dip a wide pastry brush in the olive oil and coat each piece of tuna generously with oil. Sprinkle each portion with the chives,then squeeze lemon juice over the top. Wipe the edge of each plate with a towel.Serve immediately,with the toasted baguette slices on a separate plate alongside.