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(SID HOELTZELL © MIAMI 2023)

The final dish, a delight for all the senses.

Presentation Is it for Sid’s Triple Lindy Tartare

Get your ‘MasterChef’ skills on for this seafood treat

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’ve enjoyed the thrill of cooking and exploring various cuisines all my life. I’ve tasted Michelin stars, basement borscht and twitching sashimi yellowfin on a 35′ Contender going to Bimini. It’s always a thrill to pop something new into my jowls.

Can you remember your first alligator bites, raw clam, fresh uni, frog legs, haggis, morcilla or even a sticky, slimy Japanese mountain potato, or nagaimo, with cubed tuna, soy and wasabi piled high in a tall martini glass? Maybe not for you, but those were certainly memorable moments for me. I keep my eyes and mouth open all the time for new ideas and techniques.

That’s why the greatest thrill of my life was to be on Season 9 of “MasterChef.” I spent six weeks in Los Angeles competing with hundreds of people, thousands of presentations and millions of ideas. This was La-La Land fantasy pure and simple. The variety of real-life characters and culinary sensibilities were daunting. Before I was chosen to compete, I had only haphazardly followed the show; the other contestants were all superfans. The tension was all about getting into the final cut of 24.

One of our surprise challenges was a food item from our home states. That meant oranges for me and fellow Floridians Ashley – ultimately one of the finalists – and Shanika. My orange-based ceviche didn’t fly with chef Gordon Ramsay and neither did the orange rind cut into the shape of the state of Florida that I created as a garnish.

He grabbed it by the ‘“string of the Keys” and asked, “What is this Sid, Looe Key?”

And then he picked that garnish right out and tossed it into the sink exclaiming, “Sid, I think you just sunk Florida.”

I foolishly tried to be witty and said, “Chef, I think Florida is already sinking!”

Big mistake. One must remember a court jester can never try to “out-funny” the king.

Shortly after, in another episode, my steak sauce broke apart and then the door hit me where the good Lord split me … I was gone, but I still have my well-earned “MasterChef” aprons.

For the record, Ramsay is one of the most polite and focused chefs I have ever met. He’s sharp, witty and very challenging. I will forever praise his efforts to rid the world of “shark fin soup.” Check out the episode he did about this global crisis that still has to be one of his most important shows ever.

From my standpoint, there is a vitality in what I call decadent cuisine that cannot be denied. You know the feeling. When you prep that perfect looking medium-rare rib roast for a special occasion. The look of an evenly browned turkey for your holiday feast. The lineup of cherries atop a perfectly baked Bulletproof Cheesecake. These are examples of when the presentation must be equal to the taste.

No matter what I cook, I insist on a visually stunning plating every time. Perfect grill marks contribute to flavor, and my flavors must be as memorable as the presentation, even down to the garnish. As Ramsay likes to say, “if it’s on the plate, you should be able to eat it.”

Now, onto the Triple Lindy Tartare! Extravagance, flavors and visuals are the three points of emphasis for this “triple tail” treat. Tuna and salmon and jumbo shrimp, oh my! And just for the record, I prepared this most recently not just for the recipe notes, but for a fancy schmancy evening with a few close friends.

Think about the final presentation for this plating. It’s about the combined visual effect of three colors – red, orange and pink. These three seafood tartares can stand on their own as separate appetizers, but when combined, they make a wondrously fantastic main dish. The most difficult aspect is chopping your ingredients precisely and finely – be patient and careful.

When mixing the ingredients and placing them in their molds, think about the outcome before taking off the ring. The edges should have a mix of the chopped ingredients. Pay attention to an even distribution when mixing these confettis of flavor. Maintain the integrity of the layers when stacking your seafood. Choose the perfect condiments and do not use any wilted greens.

I keep a freezer stock of green wasabi “tobiko” – inexpensive flying fish roe – and high-quality salmon roe for occasional toppings. Fancy is the goal, and these take this plating to a higher, albeit completely optional level. Salmon season is in full swing, and I am a fan of getting fresh roe delivered from Alaskan purveyors. Marky’s Gourmet at 687 NE 79th St. in Miami has a fine supply of caviars; even Publix will have some small jars of this fabulous topping.

Use sushi-grade tuna and salmon. This means they’ve been frozen and then thawed to decrease any risk of bacteria that would destroy your guests’ evening. I buy mine at Miami’s Fresh Florida Fisheries, located at 2238 SW 57th Ave., and it’s worth traveling for. Also note that I decided to turn my frozen shrimp into a ceviche-style tartare, so the chopped little chunks were thawed and marinated in lime-orange juice. Ergo, two tartares and a tartare-ceviche to be exact.

Treat this decadent trio as kitchen royalty. Combined and well-plated, they’re worthy of their Triple Lindy designation, and you’ll enjoy an impressive night of fishing for guaranteed compliments to the chef. Are you smellin’ what I’m tellin’?

CHEF SID’S TRIPLE LINDY TARTARE

INGREDIENTS

·     Kosher salt

·     1 1/2 pounds fresh sushi-grade yellowfin tuna

·     1 large, firm, ripe avocado, cut into 1/2″ cubes (do not use Hass)

·     Juice of 1 lemon (reserve rind)

·     2 tablespoons small capers, drained

·     1 teaspoon sesame seed oil

·     2 tablespoons light soy sauce

·     1 1/2 pounds fresh, thick-cut salmon fillet, skin on

·     1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped into 1/2″ cubes

·     Large handful fresh dill, roughly chopped

·     1/2 cup fresh-squeezed orange juice

·     1/4 cup fresh lime juice

·     1 1/2 pounds frozen, raw large shrimp, thawed and finely chopped

·     1 medium mango, peeled and chopped into 1/4″ cubes

·     1/2 red bell pepper, chopped into 1/4″ cubes

·     Large handful cilantro, finely chopped

·     Dash sea salt

·     1 small firecracker pepper, finely chopped

·     1/4 yam, optional

·     1 1/2 quarts fully cooked white rice, cooled

·     2 eggs

·     1 teaspoon salt

·     2 ounces wasabi tobiko, optional

·     4-ounce jar salmon roe, optional

·     Small bunch chives, finely chopped

·     Two bunches asparagus

PREPARATION – TUNA TARTARE

·     Prepare ice-salt bath made of one handful kosher salt, 1/2 gallon water and lots of ice. Place tuna in bath for 5 minutes, then remove and rinse in running water to remove saltiness; dry with paper towel. Slice and cut into 1/2″ cubes.

·     Rinse avocado in lemon juice to prevent browning, then combine in bowl with tuna, capers, sesame seed oil and light soy sauce; cover and place in refrigerator to chill.

PREPARATION – SALMON TARTARE

·     Place salmon in fresh ice bath for 5 minutes, then remove and rinse in running water to remove saltiness; dry with paper towel. Remove skin and slice and cut into 1/2″ cubes.

·     Use fine grater or zester to yield 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest from reserved rind, making sure to remove yellow part of skin only – avoid the bitter pith!

·     In bowl, combine salmon, cucumber, dill and zest; cover and place in refrigerator to chill.

PREPARATION – SHRIMP TARTARE

·     In bowl combine orange and lime juices and shrimp and let marinate 15 minutes before draining in sieve.

·     Rub dash of sea salt into firecracker pepper and turn it into a mush.

·     Microwave yam 4 minutes and cut into small strips as optional topping.

·     In bowl combine mango, red pepper, cilantro, firecracker pepper and shrimp; cover and place in refrigerator to chill.

PREPARATION – RICE CAKES

·     Preheat oven to 400º F.

·     In large bowl combine rice, eggs and salt and mix well.

·     Place oiled parchment paper on large baking tray (I used a 17″ x 22″ one), then press rice mixture on tray to create a 1/2″-thick layer.

·     Use an approximately 3″ cookie cutter ring to cut out as many rice cakes as you can, placing them on a separate piece of parchment paper as you work; you should end up with about 20 cakes.

·     Place cakes on oiled parchment paper cookie sheet and bake about 15 minutes, until a bit crispy on top but not brown; remove and let cool.

CONSTRUCTION

·     Remember, this is all about accuracy and patience. Grab another cookie cutter just smaller than 3″ and use it as a mold on top of each rice cake as you gently spoon separate tartare mixtures inside.

·     Using a small ramekin, pack down tartar mixtures well, so when the ring is pulled upward, you won’t have a mess.

·     Plate with fancy toppings for guests. Use Tobiko for the salmon rounds, salmon caviar and chives for the tuna rounds, and sliced yam for the shrimp rounds.

·     I also used some of that delicious seaweed salad from Publix in a shell to create a centerpiece, and served it all up with steamed asparagus that I chilled in an ice bath.

·     Plate well, eat well and have lots of good white wine about – we opted for cucumber gin cocktails.

Sid Hoeltzell is an award-winning Miami-based commercial food and beverage photographer and former “MasterChef” contestant. He has completed more than 450 commissioned works for Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, teaches food photography seminars and is a preferred fine art photographer for Christie’s, Sotheby’s and private collections.