Watermelon Tartar

• 400 gram – watermelon, seedless (trimmed, 6mm dice)

Trim rind from seedless watermelon; cut flesh into 6mm dice

• 5 ml – soy sauce, light
• 2 gram – kosher salt
• 1 lime – lime zest (from 1 lime)

Season diced watermelon with salt, lime zest, and light soy sauce

Vacuum seal on high pressure to compress and intensify texture

Rest chilled for 30-60 minutes

Compression firms texture and concentrates flavor

• 120 ml – water
• 5 gram – kombu

Combine kombu and water in a saucepan, let soak for 20 minutes

Heat gently to 70°C (160°F), remove from heat

• 10 gram – dried shiitake mushrooms

Add dried shiitake mushrooms, steep for 5 minutes

Strain dashi through fine mesh strainer, reserve liquid

• 2 clove – black garlic

Blend black garlic into dashi until smooth

Strain again through fine mesh strainer

Dashi should be smooth with no bits

Weigh finished dashi and ensure it is cold (below 10°C / 50°F)

Required for correct hydrocolloid hydration and ratio calculations

• sodium citrate

Add sodium citrate (0.75% of total dashi weight) and blend until fully dissolved

Buffers the liquid for reliable spherification

• sodium alginate

Weigh sodium alginate (0.5% of total dashi weight)

If pearls float or deform, increase slightly to ~0.6%

Sprinkle sodium alginate onto dashi while blending with immersion blender

Continue blending until fully dispersed, about 2-3 minutes

Pass through fine mesh strainer to remove any undissolved particles

Let rest in refrigerator for at least 1 hour to eliminate air bubbles

Air bubbles will cause uneven membrane or weak spots

• calcium chloride
• distilled water

Prepare calcium bath — dissolve calcium chloride in distilled water (0.5% by weight)

Prepare at least 500g total solution

• 100 ml – water

Prepare a second bowl with plain water for rinsing

Fill syringe or squeeze bottle with sodium alginate dashi solution

Use 18–22 gauge tip for caviar-sized pearls (3–4mm)

Hold syringe about 3 inches above calcium bath

Drop small amounts of solution into calcium bath, spacing them apart

Pearl size depends on nozzle diameter

Let pearls sit in bath for 1-2 minutes

Longer time = thicker membrane

Carefully remove pearls with slotted spoon

Rinse pearls thoroughly in clean water to remove calcium chloride

Inadequate rinsing will cause continued gelation during storage

Carefully transfer pearls to container with leftover dashi

Store pearls submerged in dashi to maintain texture

• 10 gram – basil

Stack basil leaves and roll tightly into a cigar

Cut crosswise into thin ribbons (chiffonade)

Cut just before service to prevent browning

Place small ring mold or spoon on serving plate

• watermelon tartar

Fill with compressed watermelon tartar, gently pressing to form

Approximately 40-50g per portion

• black garlic dashi caviar

Carefully top with black garlic dashi caviar pearls

Handle gently — pearls are delicate. Use approximately 1 tsp per portion.

• basil

Garnish with chiffonade basil

• olive oil

Finish with light drizzle of high-quality olive oil (optional)

Serve immediately

Ideal service window — within 10 minutes of plating