Raw foods can be a wonderful delicacy if prepared correctly. Especially in hot weather, the cool, simple flavors are refreshing and the unique textures make the eating experience delightfully unusual. As long as you use fresh ingredients and dutifully clean your work space, there's little health risk. To provide a wonderful dinner party with a raw theme, follow this menu.
Amuse-Bouche- Oysters on the Half-Shell with Cucumber Mince
Few delicacies are as old and enduring as the classic raw oyster. It's no mystery why. The combination of salty sea water and the rich flavor of the meat itself makes what oyster enthusiasts call the "liquor", a delicious, natural sauce that delivers the essence of the oyster without a lot of fiddling. This evokes the sea with every slurp and demonstrates how raw doesn't have to mean bland. Raw oysters are a lot of work and it is of the utmost importance that, like with all raw meat ingredients, you acquire the freshest, cleanest products possible. Serve these on ice with an optional salsa of minced cucumber and shallots. Though large, garden-variety cucumbers are popular, check out the potential in the Japanese cucumber. The flavor is much sharper in this small, firm variety, so it won't water down the subtle oyster flavor.
Salad- Beef Carpaccio and Arugula with Olive Oil and Sea Salt
This modern Italian dish is the epitome of the potential of raw beef. Made by cutting thin medallions of tenderloin and pounding them into papery slices, carpaccio is a real paradigm-shifter. As any steak aficionado can tell you, there's a hidden beauty to rare beef. The meat has plenty of unique flavors that disappear when denatured with heat. Being especially thin, carpaccio isn't overpowering and it rests lightly in the stomach. When paired with good arugula leaves, they contrast nicely with the slight bitterness. The simple dressing of extra virgin olive oil lets the beef speak for itself while the sea salt enlivens the flavors and bridges the gap between our amuse-bouche and our main.
Main- Red Snapper Ceviche on a Sweet Potato Base
Ceviche is a South American invention that uses citrus to denature fish rather than heat. This places the resulting meat somewhere between raw and cooked. Strictly speaking, the fish is still raw after marinating in the citrus, as the proteins change a bit differently and the acid won't kill off bacteria as effectively as heat will. As a result, only use sushi-grade fish for ceviche. A fresh catch will be perfectly safe to eat. The bite-sized pieces of fish will marinate evenly in a bath of bitter orange juice (fresh squeezed only) and the flaky snapper won't require marinating for longer than 20 minutes. The orange flavor will pair excellently with the firm platforms of lightly fried sweet potato.
Pairing- Gunderloch Jean-Baptiste Riesling
Riesling is among some of the most versatile styles of white wine and this label provides a complex palate that will bring a lively balance to the subtle flavors of the raw dinner. The Gunderloch is balanced and fruity with a hint of citrus that won't be too sharp combined with the ceviche. Be careful not to over-chill.
Dessert- Long Banana Slices with Creme Fraiche, Chocolate Ribbons and Crumbled Raw Hazelnut
Firm bananas sliced longways make excellent flavor delivery devices. With a careful layer of creme fraiche to hold thin ribbons of dark chocolate and rough-pounded hazelnuts, this dessert is rich but not too heavy. The hazelnuts are a fine choice because, even in a raw (shelled) state, they bring plenty of flavor to the mix.