Cold smoked toro with Osetra caviar

1) Mix all the ingredients for the cure, except for the toro, in a bowl. Spread half of the cure on a sheet of parchment paper, lay the toro on top, and bury it with the remaining cure. Fold the parchment over, refrigerate, and lightly weigh it down (with a carton of milk, for example). Cure for 1 hr.

2) Remove the toro from the cure, rinse it in cold water, and dry well with kitchen paper. Place it in a slotted pan. Light 2 pieces of fig wood over a burner, set the smoking branches in a large roasting tin, and place 4 large ring moulds or ramekins in four corners of the pan. Set a wire rack on top of the moulds, and a bag of ice on the wire rack. Finally, put the slotted pan over the ice and cover it quickly with tinfoil. Let it cold-smoke for 30 mins. Vacuum-pack the toro and freeze just until it firms.

3) To serve: Shave the onion bulb, and thinly julienne the tops. On a deli slicer, shave the toro thinly, about 3mm thick. Work slice by slice, laying each on a plate as quickly as possible. When all the toro is sliced, garnish each with several small dollops of caviar, small drops of creme fraiche, the onion bottoms and tops, and daikon sprouts. Using a small zester, grate lemon zest over the top. Serve with warm bread.

This recipe was provided by professional chefs and has been scaled down from a bulk recipe provided by a restaurant. The Food Network Kitchens chefs have not tested this recipe, in the proportions indicated, and therefore, we cannot make any representation as to the results.