Young Poor & Angry Press

Hi all!  Chef Dave back again!  I sure hope all who dared brave my previous grouper dish enjoyed it.  I know I always do.  It may have been a little heavy on the cilantro, but I kinda like cilantro.  Well this week I have a KILLER recipe and story for you all.  I’ve been making this for several years now and never really honed the recipe until a couple of days ago but trust this one you can pass on to your kids.

The dish is a spin on your average, everyday, boring hum-drum tuna salad.  We have all eaten the same, nasty gooey, and bland tuna salad all of our lives, right?  NO MORE!!!  What I’ve done (I’m sure it’s been done before as there are a lot of people in this world) is put a really rad Asian spin on it.  I mean Japanese people have been dealing with this fish forever except they rarely cook it.  You, the reader, won’t have to cook any tuna.  No.  You can get your tuna out of a can just like you have been for years.  However, it is quite important what kind of canned fish you use for this, so as not to turn into a bowl of glop.

I like solid albacore in water.  There I said it.  Heed my warning.  Anything less will turn into something that looks like it’s already been eaten.  I witnessed this on Saturday evening when I presented the recipe to one of my Sautee’ chefs for trial.  Solid albacore will hold relative flakiness and withstand liquification during mixing of ingredients.  Before I give you this recipe I would also like to throw a few tips out there.  With this particular preparation, it is important to add all the ingredients into your mixing bowl BEFORE stirring anything together.  Also, it helps a lot for flavor if you add the ingredients in the order I have them listed.

Without further ado, here is an easy culinary treat, that with ease can be made at home quickly and will get those taste buds going.  It’s a fave in my kitchen and I’m sure it will be in your’s too.

ASIAN TUNA SALAD

Yield:  2 medium sandwiches, 1 large, or 1 awesome salad for 2.

1 6 oz. can of solid albacore in water.  Bumblebee makes a really good one.
1 Tbsp. soy sauce, you can use light soy if you prefer.
1 tsp.  sesame oil (not many people have it, but can purchased easily)
1 Tbsp. Capers, chopped (I smashed them with the side of knife blade)
1 tsp.  prepared wasabi (found on the ethnic foods aisle)
1 sprig fresh tarragon chopped (if you have dry, fine, use it)
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 Tbsp. Red onion, chopped as finely or coarsely as you choose
1 tsp. your favorite hot sauce (I prefer Sriracha since it’s Asian)
1 pinch pepper, no salt required
1 ½ Tbsp. Mayonnaise, more can be added to preference
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
½  tsp. Sesame seeds (optional)

The Prep -

The prep is very light.  You’ll need to open the can of tuna.  You will also need to chop the onion, capers, and tarragon.  That’s really it.  Pretty easy huh?

Add all the ingredients IN ORDER and stir until JUST combined.  Don’t over stir this.  You want everything to be incorporated but you want the fish to have texture.  Adjust flavors as per your palate.

I told you it was easy.  Now just give her a taste!  It knocks my socks off EVERY TIME!!!  I’m not even making this right now and I’m slobberin’ all over my computer.

Now that you have it made, you can put the bowl into your fridge and contemplate how you want to get it into your belly.  Might I recommend a sandwich?  Let’s see.  To sliced bread I would add mayo, spring mix, and sliced tomato.  That’s it.  Let the tuna speak for itself.

Maybe you’d like a fresh salad.  In a bowl place a healthy portion of the chopped lettuce of your choice.  I like romaine/spring mix combo.  You can buy bags of this stuff from your local grocer.  Next a big scoop of your AWESOME tuna, some sliced roma tomatoes, sliced red bell peppers, and some thinly sliced red onions.  Maybe a little drizzle of olive oil over the whole thing.  The mayo in the tuna salad will act as a dressing once you begin eating.

The Story

I came up with this dish several years ago while working at a pan-Asian restaurant / sushi bar.  I only worked lunches there and after proving myself to the chef and others, one of the other cooks and I were allowed the freedom of coming up with daily lunch specials.  Being a sushi restaurant there was never a shortage of tuna.  We would make it any way you could imagine.  Sear it, slice it, roll up the slices like flowers.  Chop it up, sautee it with bok choy and sesame seeds.  This tuna salad was my addition.

When I would make it then, I would marinate raw tuna in soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, garlic, and ginger.  If you can get your hands on fresh tuna, try this.  Marinate it for a little while, grill it, cook it through in the oven, and cool in refrigerator.  Break it up with 2 forks and then make according to above recipe.  Grilling it adds a whole new level of flavor.  You get a nice caramelization of sugars that is really tasty.

Enjoy this.  Share this.  Food brings people together.  I will never eat regular tuna salad again.  Why would I when I can make this?

-Chef Dave

p.s.  If ya’ll are liking what I’m writing, please feel free to drop some comments.  This let’s me know who’s following me up here and will help inspire creativity.

We’ve been behind a bit recently, and it’s my job as Editor in Chief to tell you guys exactly what’s going on with us and why it seems like there have been issues. We got hacked. Plain and simple. The hack was to our server I was told, and exploited a frame of our site to try to redirect them to theirs.  It’s an unfortunate thing and we’re all pretty upset about it, but life goes on. I would like to take a second to thank Al Kirby of ProRank Studios/OMTC and Ryan Shremp our technical support technician. These two guys worked tirelessly the last week trying to make sure that YPA Press continued to live on tamper free.

In that theme we’ve got a few new things up on YPA that I want to tell everyone about.  Joining us for her first column last week was Erin Anding. Erin has been on staff with YPA from the get go, advising all of us what to wear, how to dress professionally, and even cut some of staff’s hair. For some of you who don’t know me personally, I’m a bit of a rebel as far as dress code, but Erin helped me find a clever medium between punk and business. Now she’s here sharing the same expertise she gets paid top dollar for, for free. So check in often, as she’ll be posting her own thoughts and articles from around the world of fashion, hair and entertainment. Making YPA Press your one stop show for all things chic.

Also joining us this month is Chef Dave Pharo. Chef Dave as he likes to be called, is Executive Chef at one of Florida’s top steak houses, Mark’s Prime. He also has traveled around the country, experiencing more than his fair share of both heartache and triumph in his journey towards success. Chef Dave has decided to take all of that time well spent and give us some of his amazing recipes, as well as story to go along with it. Make It With Chef Dave will be a weekly feature I hope you guys start to look forward to, I know I do, mainly because I actually get to eat Chef Dave’s food before his article goes to press.

Just when you thought that was all, we’re dropping a new staff writer as well. Jesseca Bagherpour is a up and coming journalist with a sharp wit and a ferocity for a story that makes the rest of us look tame. We’re excited to have Jesseca out in the trenches digging up the dirt on those who claim themselves lily white.

We’re excited to see the direction YPA Press has taken and all your interest in it. This site doesn’t work without you. That’s why I’m inviting everyone to register for YPA Press. With every user registration you’ll receive posting priveledges on YPA Press, and your name for the week as a contributor when your article gets placed that week. This site is not just ours, it’s yours and we invite you to come share your opinions with all of us.

Thank you,

Justin Newman

Editor in Chief

So hi everyone! My name is Dave and I’m going to be dropping some food knowledge on you. First, I’ll tell you a little about myself. Then I’m going to give you a user-friendly recipe that I came up with at some point in time. After that, I’m going to tell you what was going on around me at the time to inspire to make said dish. If you like good food and good stories you’ll be into this.

I am a Chef. Have been for almost 10 years now. I’ve worked all over this great country in many different levels of dining and many different cuisines. I went to school for this and practice honing my skill everyday (except on my days off which almost don’t exist.) I like to eat good food and I like to make good food. I have gained copious amounts of knowledge about food from my formal training and every person I’ve ever worked for and with. Now, I’m going to pass it on to you. I’m viewing this as grub for your brain.

The recipe I’m going to pass on to you today is a simple yet TASTY one. I call it Grouper Margarita. Not to be confused with margherita which is an Italian preparation. No… I mean Margarita like your favorite adult beverage because that’s what the sauce is! So here’s what you’ll need for 2 healthy portions:

1# cleaned, skin off Grouper fillet
1 bottle of your favorite Tequila
1 bottle of your favorite Margarita mix
2 fresh Limes
1 fresh Orange
1 bunch fresh Cilantro
1 Tbsp. minced Garlic
1 container of blackening seasoning (available on any spice aisle)
1 Tbsp butter

Some ingredients I consider to be staples like oil, salt, and pepper. If you don’t have these, you’ll need to add them to your shopping list,

The Prep-

First thing’s first, make a margarita for yourself. If you’ve never made one, the recipe is on the bottle of the margarita mix.

After a sip or two split the limes and orange and reserve. I split my citrus north to south not along the equator. You get more juice out of them that way.

Next, pick the leaves off half the bunch of cilantro. Chop as finely and you choose and reserve.

Cut the grouper fillet in half and clean your knife and cutting board. That’s your prep.

The Cooking

Preheat your oven to 350 Fo. Now heat a medium sautee pan on medium high heat. That’s about 7 on your electric stove and if you have a gas stove you can turn it all the way up and then back down just a little bit. Add about 1 Tbsp. of your cooking oil of choice be it olive, vegetable, or peanut.

Season the grouper skin side down with your blackening seasoning and begin cooking. Let it sear for 2-3 minutes. Flip and put the whole pan into the oven. Cooking time should NOT surpass 7 minutes once in the oven.

Evacuate the fish to your two plates and pour off remaining pan oil into your trash bin and return to stove on medium-high heat. You can go ahead and turn off the oven now too. Sautee minced garlic for a brief moment. Then it gets dangerous. Pull your pan OFF heat and deglaze with 1/3 cup of tequila. “Deglaze” means to add liquid to a hot pan which pulls flavor from the bottom. DO NOT DO THIS OVER FIRE OR YOU WILL LOSE YOUR EYEBROWS!!! After a moment, return pan to heat where the pan may or may not flame up with your face at a safe distance.

Allow the tequila to reduce for just a minute. You then add ½ cup Margarita mix, squeeze of 1 full lime, ½ orange, cilantro and salt. I usually allow this mixture to reduce about half way at which point the sauce is finished with the butter. Pour it over fish and you’re done. Make another margarita and eat.

Serving suggestions involve cous cous or rice, and any steamed vegetables you’re in to.

The Story

So here’s the back story on how I came up with this dish. I was like a terminal sous chef (that’s an assistant kitchen manager) at the place I’m Executive Chef at now. My career was going NOWHERE. I knew the Chef at the time wasn’t leaving so I was kind of in a rut. There was a sushi restaurant next door that moved 1 space down for a bigger space leaving it’s first store vacant. The owners began looking for an investor and a new concept all the way around. I went from big bummer to STOKED overnight.

A server/bartender friend of mine and I began working on a concept. We came up with the idea of Tex/Mex tequila bar and grill. We put together a full menu both for food as well as bar with drinks like chipotle bloody mary. We pitched the concept relatively successfully unfortunately the investor fell though. The owners of my current restaurant ended up buying the space and we in turn doubled our dining capacity. Came pretty close though.

Enjoy this dish. I’ve made it plenty of times and it’s always a hit.

-Chef Dave