Yuzu Peach Yellowtail Crudo

There is a very specific kind of evening that happens right at the edge of August and September. The sun is still warm on your skin by four in the afternoon, but there’s a new kind of hush in the air by eight, a hint that the season is starting to let go. The tourist crowds in San Diego, where I live are a little bit quieter and becoming less and less. The peaches at the farmers market are at their absolute peak, almost too ripe, so juicy and delicious. It’s in that window, that fleeting overlap between summer’s last heat and the cool that’s creeping in behind it, that this dish felt SO necessary to create.

I hope you make this crudo recipe feel more like a end of summer ritual for the final weeks of warm weather! It’s light without being boring, elegant without being fussy, and it captures something that you hopefully won’t forget: that bittersweet feeling of holding onto summer for just a little longer.

Why This Dish Belongs on Your Table

There’s a reason crudo has such staying power on restaurant menus. It’s simple in construction but complex in flavor, and when you get the components right, it feels like something far more special than the sum of its parts. Here’s why this particular version deserves a spot in your end of summer rotation.

• The peach and yuzu sauce is bright, a little sweet, and tangy in a way that wakes up your whole palate

• Yellowtail has a buttery, delicate texture that practically melts, so it never feels heavy even on a warm night

• It requires almost no cooking, which means your kitchen stays cool and your evening stays easy

• It looks like something plucked straight out of a coastal restaurant, but it comes together in well under thirty minutes

• It’s a beautiful way to use the last of the season’s peaches before they disappear from the stands

• It’s the perfect dish to make on the weekend to force yourself to slow down, invite over a friend, and pour up a few chilled glasses of white wine.

Where to Buy Sushi Grade Yellowtail

Sourcing good fish is really the only part of this recipe that requires any real effort, and it’s worth doing right.

• Start with a trusted local fish market or a Japanese grocery store, they often carry the best quality and freshest cuts.

• Many well stocked grocery stores now carry ‘sushi-grade’ fish at the seafood counter, so it never hurts to ask even if it’s not on display. If no grocery stores near you have it start looking into local farmers markets, and asking merchants there.

• If you don’t live near the coast, several online seafood purveyors specialize in ‘sushi-grade’ fish shipped overnight on ice, and the quality can genuinely rival what you’d find at a market.

• Always look for fish explicitly labeled ‘sushi-grade’ or ‘sashimi-grade,’ and don’t hesitate to ask when it arrived, and when you should eat it by.

Tips for Firming Up the Fish

A firmer texture makes the fish easier to slice cleanly and gives every bite that satisfying, delicate snap. These small steps make a noticeable difference.

• Keep the fish as cold as possible for as long as possible, ideally on ice in the fridge until you’re ready to slice. Or rinse the fish and pop it in the freezer for 10-20 minutes or until the flesh is firm.

• Pat it completely dry with paper towels before you do anything else, moisture is the enemy of a clean, precise cut.

• Consider a very light salt/sugar cure. (equal parts) A thin, even sprinkle of salt left on for about ten to fifteen minutes will draw out excess moisture and firm the flesh beautifully, just rinse and pat dry thoroughly afterward.

• Use a long, sharp knife and slice in smooth, single strokes rather than sawing back and forth.

• Chill your serving plates ahead of time so the fish stays cold and firm the entire time it’s on the table.}

Recipe

• 1 ripe peach, peeled and pitted

• 2 tablespoons yuzu juice

• 1 fresh whole lemon juice

• 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (adjust as needed)

• Pinch of salt

• 1 lb ‘sushi-grade’ yellowtail, thinly sliced

• 1 avocado, thinly sliced for layering

• 1 small peach, thinly sliced, for layering

• Cilantro microgreens, for topping

• Fresh chives, finely chopped ( garnish)

• Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling

• Flaky sea salt, for finishing

• Algae Cooking Club Gochugaru Chili Oil, dot on plate

Instructions

1. Firm up the fish. Pat the yellowtail completely dry with paper towels. If you’d like a firmer texture, lightly salt it for about ten minutes, then rinse and pat dry again. Keep it chilled in the freezer until you’re ready to slice. Set a timer for 20 minutes.

2. Make the sauce. In a blender, combine the peach, yuzu juice, lemon juice, olive oil, and a pinch of salt. Blend until completely smooth. Taste and adjust, adding more yuzu for tang or a touch more peach for sweetness. Strain the mixture, and add more lemon and yuzu juice if its too thick to strain. Gently whisk in shallot. Chill for at least fifteen minutes.

3. Slice the yellowtail thinly against the grain using a very sharp knife, working in smooth, deliberate strokes. Plate the slices on a cold plate, and adding sliced peaches and avocado slices layering them in.

4. Spoon or pour the chilled peach yuzu sauce onto the plate, around the fish spreading it into a thin, even layer around the fish. Dot in Chili Oil around the plate.

5. Top with cilantro microgreens and chopped chives.

6. Finish with a generous drizzle of olive oil and a scatter of flaky sea salt.

7. Serve immediately, while the fish is still cold and the sauce is bright.