How to Make Poisson Cru
If you’ve ever visited Tahiti, it is more than likely that you have tasted their famous signature dish, poisson cru - tuna marinated in coconut milk and lime juice. And if you’re like us, it’s a culinary highlight of your trip! Luckily it is served for breakfast, lunch and dinner at most restaurants. And if you are taking an excursion that includes a motu picnic, chances are you can look forward to fresh poisson cru and a cooking demonstration.
The term “poisson cru” is French and translates to raw fish. This dish starts with fresh raw tuna (hands down some of the freshest tuna in the world is from Tahiti!) which is then marinated in lime juice and coconut milk and mixed with an assortment of fresh vegetables. Interesting fact - the acidity of the lime juice actually cooks the raw fish just slightly!
Missing that tasty island dish? Or just looking for a taste of Tahiti at home? We’ve got the recipe right here for you! With this recipe, definitely make the splurge for sushi-grade tuna and we always prefer the taste of fresh coconut, although canned will work just as well!
Poisson Cru (from Giada De Laurentiis on the Food Network)
Ingredients
1 pound of fresh sushi-grade yellowfin tuna, cut into 1/2-inch dices
3 tablespoons lime juice
Sea salt
1 cup fresh coconut milk
1/4 cup peeled and diced carrots
1/4 cup peeled and diced cucumbers
2 tomatoes peeled, seeded and diced (or cherry tomatoes cut in half)
Freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon finely chopped scallions
Directions
In a bowl, combine the tuna, lime juice and some salt and let marinate for 5 minutes. Drain the lime juice and add the coconut milk, carrots, cucumbers and tomatoes to the bowl. Mix together and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve in a bowl (or a hollowed-out half-coconut!) and sprinkle scallions on top. Enjoy!
Poisson Cru, Photo Credit: Tahiti Tourisme North America
Whip this up for a light, refreshing and delicious meal any time of the week! Let us know in the comments if you’ve made this before and if you have any recipe variations that you enjoy! Bon appetit!
