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Can Someone please Help me?

post #1 of 13
3/15/07 at 10:39am
Thread Starter 
so i have a 4 course dinner that my classmates and i are doing for our friends and family. The problem is the second course that was voted in is turning out to be a dud. Its a wanton wrapped that is baked into a sudo-cup shape and its filled with a tuna tartar, cucumbers, avacoados and topped with caviar. My assignment is to come up with ways to "tweek it"... i have been thinking about it for a week and cant come up with anything....So im hoping someone out there in culinary land can reply with an idea....HELP ME PLEASE
*The Infamous*
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post #2 of 13
3/15/07 at 11:11am
The basic idea sounds good to me (I used to have to make tuna tartar as an appetizer at work, but still love it). Of course, you have to assemble them at the last minute, otherwise the cup will get soggy and disgusting.

What did your friends not like about it? What are you mixing into the tartar? What are you using for the "caviar"? (a flavored tobiko would work really well, better than the phony lumpfish stuff, or even salmon roe).
"Notorious stickler" -- The New York Times, January 4, 2004
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post #3 of 13
3/15/07 at 11:23am
Other than a whole lot of what seems like overkill to me with the filling, what specifically is making it a 'dud'? Taste, texture, hard to eat, etc, etc.

I'm not a huge fan of "messing up" a good tuna tartare with a lot of additions, particularly with strong flavors like caviar.
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post #4 of 13
3/15/07 at 11:42am
I'm with Mochefs on this one. What you describe is a definate case of way too much---whichl, unfortunately, seems to be a trend.

Do you have to use all those ingredients? If so, back off on some so that they are merely highlights and accents, rather than main contributors. Maybe have the wonton boats "floating" in a sea of avocado foam (although I think foam has been way overdone, myself), with just a very few caviar eggs dribbling off the cup into the foam.

How big are you making the cups? If any larger than a mini-muffin, I would think about making a tuna/cucumber mousse to fill about half the cup, then top that with the tartare. Perhaps add a dill spring as a mast. In fact, I might go this route even if they are mini-muffin size.
They have taken the oath of the brother in blood, in leavened bread and salt. Rudyard Kipling
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post #5 of 13
3/15/07 at 3:03pm
It might help all of us if you try and tell us exactly what is wrong with the dish as it is now.
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post #6 of 13
3/15/07 at 3:54pm
Foam: feh. :lol:
"Notorious stickler" -- The New York Times, January 4, 2004
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post #7 of 13
3/15/07 at 5:16pm
I couldn't agree more, Suzanne.

But if I'm reading the original post right, they have all these conflicting ingredients that have to be used. So I'm looking for ways to avoid just piling them up.

The one and only nice thing about foam is that nobody has to eat it. :D
They have taken the oath of the brother in blood, in leavened bread and salt. Rudyard Kipling
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post #8 of 13
3/15/07 at 8:52pm
Thread Starter 
The tartar wonton cup is for a second course at a dinner my classmates and i are putting on...It was voted in by everyone in my class but me...and my chef instructor has asked us to come up with additional ideas to tweek the original idea, which in all is, a wonton baked into a cup 3' by 3' that is filled with the tuna tartar, cucumbers, avacados, and topped with caviar. there are no sauces and nothing else going on the plate. Basically he wants something "solid" to compliment the dish as is....i just cant think of anything. I really appreciate your help in figuring this one out. FYI i need to figure this one out by sunday night!!!!
*The Infamous*
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post #9 of 13
3/16/07 at 7:37am
Slate,

I think when you blend avocado with something like fresh tuna tartare it will take away the clean brick translucency's of the tuna. Why not think about the other components in the tartare as stand alone items that can be brought into the tartare by the customers. Jean George does a really cool tuna tartare in where he places socles of tartar on a chilled plate then tops them with lotus root, beet, potato etc chips. Then flavored oils are napped on the plate. In this case, red pepper oil, chive oil and curry oils are used. Perhaps using this approach and then place a brunoise of the cucumber and avocado between the tartare.
Baruch ben Rueven / Chanaבראד, ילד של ריימונד והאלאן
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post #10 of 13
3/16/07 at 8:42am
1. Instead of putting everything into one large wonton cup, make several smaller ones (as KYHeirloomer suggested, using minimuffin tin), put a dab of tuna into each, and top each one with something different: avocado on one, cucumber on another, caviar on a third. Or put the other stuff in the cup first and top with tuna. In any case, do not fill all in the same order. Stick a long piece of chive in each and have the tips meet over the space in the center of the cups.

2. Deconstruct it: Variation of presentation used at Match Uptown (iirc): on the plate, make a circle of overlapping very thin cucumber slices. Place ring mold over center of circle, fill with tuna, pack down. Top with diced avocado. Remove ring mold. Sprinkle caviar around the outside edge of the cucumber circle. Cut wonton skins into two triangles; deep-fry or bake to crisps. Stick two wonton crisps into the top of the tuna/avocado mold.

3. Another deconstruction: Mold tuna into a puck or a pyramid on plate. Make crisps of whole wonton wrappers. Dice avocado, slice or dice cucumber. Arrange crisps, avocado, cucumber on/in/around tuna. Sprinkle caviar.
"Notorious stickler" -- The New York Times, January 4, 2004
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post #11 of 13
3/16/07 at 9:03am
I've done this a lot, with anything from chicken salad to chili. Not a fan of the "tuna tartare", but presumably that's why you're the culinary student and I'm not.

I love KY and Capechef's ideas, myself.
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post #12 of 13
3/16/07 at 10:09am
Are you supposed to eat the wonton cup? IMO it will detract from the texture of the tuna. IMO, the point of tuna tartare is to have the tuna and pockets of flavor kinda melt and pop in your mouth. I'm not a fan of adding too much crispy texture, especially one as mundane and stale as fried wonton skin. It's crispy, but thick. Try a more delicate and airy crisp texture. Shoot, the trend these days is fried tempura batter bits.

Go to the sushi bar and order a spicy scallop or spicy tuna handroll. Should cost you around $5 outside of the city. Go to a few places. Get a benchmark or baseline for your dish.
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post #13 of 13
3/16/07 at 10:27am
I like your deconstruction, Suzanne. But if SlateEye has to use the wonton cup (as is apparently the case), all he needs do is use it instead of the ring mold.

I would partially fill the cup with avocado cream, topped to overflowing with the tartare. Center that in the ring of cucumber slices. And add a crisped wonton sail to gain height and solidity to the presentation.
They have taken the oath of the brother in blood, in leavened bread and salt. Rudyard Kipling
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