In the Kitchen with Chef Jason Suwantika of Hu’u Bali – Watermelon Sashimi

Watermelon Sashimi? No, it’s not sashimi that tastes like watermelon. There’s no fish in the dish – in fact, it’s completely vegetarian with watermelon being the main component.

So what makes it watermelon sashimi? Well, you’ll have to follow the recipes and the images to see. Let’s just say that sous vide is the 6th culinary wonder.

Ingredients

Chef Jason Suwantika Huu Villa Bali Seminyak recipe 1
Kombu

  • 1 x Watermelon, cleaned and sliced 1.5″ thick
  • 2 x Kombu sheets, soaked in water overnight

For Tamari Dressing

  • 60 ml brown rice viegar
  • 120ml lemon juice
  • 120ml tamari
  • 30 ml sesame Oil
  • 60 ml grape seed oil
  • 60g sugar
  • 5g salt
  • 60g daikon pulp (grated daikon)

For Wasabi Tobiko

  • 100 ml rice vinegar
  • 50ml water
  • 10g sugar
  • 5g wasabi paste
  • 1.5g agar agar
  • 500 ml cold (almost frozen) Grapeseed Oil

Method

Chef Jason Suwantika Huu Villa Bali Seminyak recipe 3
Packed Watermelon

  1. Season watermelon with salt then vaccum pack with kombu and sous vide at 60C for 90 minutes or 75C for 60 minutes. Don’t have sous vide? Wrap the watermelon pieces with cling wrap and steam with your bamboo steamer for 30 minutes. Immediately chill watermelon in the fridge or freezer or ice baths.
  2. Make the tamari dressing by combining all ingredients together in bowl with a whisk.
  3. For tobiko, boil vinegar, water, sugar, wasabi paste and agar agar until all ingredients have dissolved.
  4. Cool slightly and transfer to a squeeze bottle.
  5. Drip the warm mixture into cold oil and let the droplets sink into the bottom, making sure the droplets stays separated
  6. Strain the pearls and wash with cold water then set aside, chilled.

Serve

Chef Jason Suwantika Huu Villa Bali Seminyak recipe 2
Slicing Watermelon

Slice up the kombu like noodles and plate. Then slice up the watermelon like tuna sashimi and place atop the kombu. Finally add the dressing and pearls. Enjoy!

This is a great tapas if you’re having a dinner party, and will particularly impress vegetarians.


Founder & Director

Alex is our Chief Nomad and City Nomads founder. When not rambling his way around Singapore on discovery-mode, he likes to hang out with friends, cook, make experimental cocktails and attempt handstands during yoga.