Tuna Carpaccio · Fried Rice Paper

Buy as late as possible. If using frozen saku, thaw sealed in the fridge until just pliable but still very cold.

Day of, 3–4 hrs before service: open, drain, and dry the tuna very thoroughly. Trim any oxidized edges or mushy corners.

Slice while still very cold, then lay the slices between parchment and press gently until evenly thin but not ragged.

Hold the pressed tuna in a single cold layer, covered well, until pickup. Do not season or dress ahead.

Pickup: lay the tuna in a loose overlapped round on each chilled plate. Season and dress only at the last second so it stays cold and clean. Fresh lime zest belongs on the tuna, not in the rice paper seasoning.

Day before: heat the oil gently over low heat. Add bruised lemongrass and torn makrut leaves and infuse very lightly for 5–6 min — the aroma should stay delicate, not perfume-like.

Remove from heat and rest 10 min only.

Strain very finely and chill completely.

Day of: taste cold. It should read as clean citrus-leaf fragrance, not heavy oil. Use sparingly at pickup — a quick swirl is fine only if it leaves a thin sheen, never visible pooling.

Day of, 3 hrs before service: cut each rice paper wrapper into loose shards or irregular ovals sized for one plate.

Fry one at a time at 180°C until fully puffed and just pale gold — only a few seconds. Press lightly with tongs if needed so they fry evenly.

Drain on a rack and season lightly while still warm. Best move here is a dry makrut salt: fine salt alone, or fine salt mixed with a very small pinch of finely ground dried makrut leaf.

Do not use fresh lime zest on the rice paper — reserve fresh zest for the tuna at pickup so the crisp stays dry. Hold completely dry and uncovered in a low-humidity spot. Do not let dressed tuna sit directly on the crisp for long.

Before service: whisk lime juice with fish sauce. This should read like a very light nuoc-cham-style dressing for carpaccio: sharp, bright, lightly savoury, and not obviously fish-saucey. If it feels too intense cold, loosen with 1–2 tsp water.

Slice nectarines very thin and hold cold. They should stay firm and clean-edged.

If using Thai basil: fry the leaves very briefly until crisp, drain well, and hold dry. Use only the smallest amount per plate.

Pickup: spoon or brush the lime dressing over the tuna first, then add only a few drops of the aromatic oil — or one quick tiny swirl spread into a gloss, not a puddle.

Tuck in a few thin nectarine slices, finish with chive, flaky salt, and fresh lime zest on the tuna, and place a dry-seasoned rice paper shard alongside or just under one edge so the dish still reads as carpaccio.

Serve immediately so the tuna stays cold and the crisp stays crisp.