Sustainable fishing · Mediterranean
Bluefin tuna,
the ikejime way.
The ancestral Japanese technique, applied to bluefin tuna caught under quota in our own waters. A flesh like no other.
活
Ikejime, explained
A technique that changes the flesh.
Ikejime (活け締め) is a Japanese method several centuries old. It consists of dispatching the fish instantly, by severing the brain and the spinal cord. The fish feels no stress. No surge of lactic acid ever taints its flesh.
The result is measurable: superior firmness, a colour that stays deep red, a longer keeping time, and a flavour of incomparable clarity.
I
The dispatch
The fish is killed instantly. No suffocating on deck, no stress.
II
The bleeding
Complete draining of the blood: the flesh stays bright, and never smells fishy.
III
The chilling
Straight onto ice. The flesh sets in its ideal state — firmness, colour, aroma.
Sustainable fishing
A fish respected, quotas respected.
Mediterranean bluefin tuna came within a breath of extinction. Today, governed by strict quotas and international traceability, it is coming back. At Chez Bastianin, we work only with licensed fishermen, and every fish arrives with its certificate.
Ikejime also changes our relationship with volume: a tuna that keeps for two weeks in the cold room is worked to the gram. We draw the very most from it, down to the last cheek. Nothing is wasted.
Four preparations
From tartare to heart-cut steak.
Tartare de thon rouge
Cut from the heart of the Akami loin — shallot, chives, mild red chilli, basil oil, smoked Maldon salt.
32 €
Matured tuna belly
Grilled tuna belly, chimichurri sauce, lightly tangy apricot compote.
59 €
Steak de Cœur d'Akami — Taggiasca
Served blue-rare, Taggiasca extra virgin olive oil, Maldon salt and sauce vierge.
49 €
Steak de Cœur d'Akami — Agrumes & Émulsion
Served blue-rare, a glaze of citrus and ginger notes, Corsican tuna emulsion.
49 €
An exceptional product · subject to season and availability · in limited quantities