Seared Ahi with Salad of Root Vegetables and Celery Root Purée

Chef Robert Leva recently moved from Auberge du Soleil in the Napa Valley to take the helm at the Lakehouse Restaurant at Calistoga Ranch, Auberge Resort’s second luxury property in the valley. To pair with the 2003 ARCADIA VINEYARD Chardonnay, Chef Leva has created a sumptuously seasoned dish of ahi tuna and root vegetables, served atop a rich celery root purée.

Ahi:
1 pound ahi tuna loin, in log shape
1 teaspoon each cumin, fennel seed, and coriander
½ star anise pod
¾ cup grapeseed oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Celery root purée:
1 medium celery root, peeled
½ white onion, thinly sliced
½ cup vegetable broth
½ cup cream
1 lemon
butter

Vinaigrette:
1/8 cup fresh lemon juice
1/8 cup aged sherry vinegar
2 tablespoons good olive oil

Salad:
1 Jerusalem artichoke, scrubbed clean
1 bulb fennel, tough outer sections removed
Fines herbs (1/4 bunch flat-leaf parsley, 1 bunch chives, ¼ bunch chervil, 5 leaves French tarragon), finely chopped
1 bunch watercress, leaves only
seeds of 1 pomegranate

Fleur de Sel (artisan sea salt)

For the ahi:
Toast dry spices together in sauté pan. Cool and grind. Coat ahi with grapeseed oil, season with salt and pepper, and roll in ground spices. Heat ¼ cup grapeseed oil and sear ahi evenly on all sides, about 8 seconds per side for rare. Cool and refrigerate.

For the purée:
Cut the root end off the celery root and peel away the rough outer skin until white celery root is revealed. Cut in half. Place half of the celery root in a container with water and the juice of ½ lemon. Reserve.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a sauce pot and add the sliced onion. Season with salt and pepper and sweat slowly with a cover on. Chop the other half celery root into thin pieces. When onions are tender, add celery root pieces and continue sweating. Season again. When celery root is tender, add vegetable stock and cream. Simmer until all vegetables are tender. While warm, place celery root and onions and about half the cooking liquid in a blender. Purée on high speed for 2-3 minutes, until completely smooth. Place in a shallow container. Put a loose fitting lid over the top and cool.

For the vinaigrette:
Whisk together 1/8 cup lemon juice and the sherry vinegar and add salt and pepper. Whisk in remaining ½ cup grapeseed oil and finish with the olive oil.

To make the salad and serve:
Chill 4 plates for 20 minutes before serving.

Place a few spoons of celery root purée in a mixing bowl. Add a small amount of vinaigrette to the purée and stir in to help loosen it a bit. Place about 1 tablespoon of purée on each plate and run the tip of the spoon down through the purée to spread it, leaving a well down the center.

Remove the reserved celery root from the water. Cut a piece 1 inch wide by 3 inches long. Using a mandoline, carefully shave the celery root as thinly as possible into a clean mixing bowl. Repeat with the fennel and then the Jerusalem artichoke. Toss the shaved vegetables together with the vinaigrette, fines herbs, and salt and pepper. Add a small handful of pomegranate seeds and the watercress leaves. Place a spoonful of root vegetable salad down the center of the celery root puree.

Slice ahi against the grain of the fish, in ½-inch slices; allow 2-3 slices per person. Lay the slices over root vegetables, like dominoes. Drizzle remaining vinaigrette over the ahi and season with fleur de sel. Sprinkle a few pomegranate seeds over the top and enjoy.