Fried Albacore with Onion Glaze and Yuzu Kosho
Thomas J. Story
The blow-your-mind technique in this recipe from Seattle's Tomo is flash frying. A mere 30 seconds in hot oil transforms rare albacore breaded in panko into a delightfully crunchy bite. Glazing it with a long-reduced onion sauce and topping it with a peppery, citrusy yuzu kosho makes for a study in contrasts.
Tip: The Japanese condiment yuzu kosho is one of those magical pantry ingredients that boosts anything it touches. Made with fermented chiles and the zest of the citrus yuzu, it delivers a salty, spicy, aromatic punch.
This recipe and others like it first appeared in the story "'Brutalist Ryokan Meets Coastal Dive Bar': James Beard Winner Takes Seattle’s Tomo over the Top," from Sunset's 2022 Garden Issue.
How to Make It
1
To make the caramelized onion glaze:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Place onions and 1 qt. water in a dutch oven.
2. Cover the pan tightly with two layers of aluminum foil, and bake until the onions begin to darken and caramelize, about 6 hours.
3. Strain out the onions. Set the dutch oven over medium-high heat and simmer the broth until it’s about one-fifth its original volume. It should be thickened slightly and have a very sweet and strong onion flavor.
4. Season to taste with lemon juice and salt.
2
To make the yuzu kosho:
In a small bowl, add all ingredients and mix until thoroughly incorporated.
3
To make the albacore:
1. In a food processor, blend panko until super-fine.
2. Set up your dipping station: Place panko, flour, and beaten eggs in separate containers. Line a plate with wax or parchment paper.
3. Season albacore with kosher salt. Dip all sides of the fish in flour, shaking off excess. Then dip in the eggs, allowing excess to drip off. Dip in the panko, lightly pressing to ensure the panko adheres.
4. Place coated albacore on the wax-papered plate and refrigerate until ready to fry.
5. In a deep cast-iron skillet or dutch oven, add oil and heat to 450°F. Remove albacore from the refrigerator and immediately lower into oil. Fry 20-30 seconds, until golden brown.
6. Using a spider strainer, carefully remove albacore from oil, allowing oil to drip back into pot. Place on paper-towel-lined plate and let cool.
7. To assemble, slice albacore pieces in half crosswise. Place two pieces on each plate. Brush with reduced onion juice and top each with a small amount of yuzu kosho.
Ingredients
Caramelized onion glaze
2 large yellow onions, quartered
fresh lemon juice
kosher salt
Yuzu kosho
2 tbsp green yuzu kosho
1 ½ tsp dried sansho or Sichuan peppercorns
1 ½ tsp lemon juice
Albacore
1 cup panko
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 medium eggs, lightly beaten
4 (1-inch thick), 4 oz. pieces sashimi-grade albacore tuna
canola oil, for frying
Directions
1
To make the caramelized onion glaze:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Place onions and 1 qt. water in a dutch oven.
2. Cover the pan tightly with two layers of aluminum foil, and bake until the onions begin to darken and caramelize, about 6 hours.
3. Strain out the onions. Set the dutch oven over medium-high heat and simmer the broth until it’s about one-fifth its original volume. It should be thickened slightly and have a very sweet and strong onion flavor.
4. Season to taste with lemon juice and salt.
2
To make the yuzu kosho:
In a small bowl, add all ingredients and mix until thoroughly incorporated.
3
To make the albacore:
1. In a food processor, blend panko until super-fine.
2. Set up your dipping station: Place panko, flour, and beaten eggs in separate containers. Line a plate with wax or parchment paper.
3. Season albacore with kosher salt. Dip all sides of the fish in flour, shaking off excess. Then dip in the eggs, allowing excess to drip off. Dip in the panko, lightly pressing to ensure the panko adheres.
4. Place coated albacore on the wax-papered plate and refrigerate until ready to fry.
5. In a deep cast-iron skillet or dutch oven, add oil and heat to 450°F. Remove albacore from the refrigerator and immediately lower into oil. Fry 20-30 seconds, until golden brown.
6. Using a spider strainer, carefully remove albacore from oil, allowing oil to drip back into pot. Place on paper-towel-lined plate and let cool.
7. To assemble, slice albacore pieces in half crosswise. Place two pieces on each plate. Brush with reduced onion juice and top each with a small amount of yuzu kosho.
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