The Seafood To Steer Clear Of When Making Homemade Crudos

Crudo is an Italian dish of raw fish that's simply seasoned and lightly dressed. Crudo is a bit different from ceviche, the latter of which typically refers to cubes of raw fish that are marinated in lime juice. Instead, crudo involves thinly sliced fish, but there's no singular variety that is considered crucial for crudo. Some chefs don't recommend making this complicated Italian dish at home, but if you want to give it a go, you still shouldn't use just any fish. During the New York City Wine & Food Fest, we got a chance to speak to Ayesha Nurdjaja, executive chef at Mediterranean restaurant Shuka, about this very subject.

When we asked about whether freshwater or saltwater fish was better for crudo (we'd heard that freshwater fish should be avoided), Nurdjaja said it was very true that freshwater fish isn't a great choice. Fish species that live in freshwater are notoriously more susceptible to bacteria or parasites like tapeworms. While there is still a risk with saltwater fish, some parasites that are prevalent in freshwater species like trout and pike are much less likely to be found in saltwater fish like tuna and farmed salmon. Some saltwater parasites even struggle to survive as easily inside the human body. That being said, you should still be careful with any raw fish, which gets to Nurdjaja's next piece of advice.

Regardless of which saltwater fish you choose, it absolutely needs to be as fresh as possible. "Freshness is really key for crudo. You don't want to mess around with that," Ayesha Nurdjaja said. According to Nurdjaja, you should steer clear of buying any seafood for crudo that you're not 100% sure is fresh. To do this, "You really need a good fishmonger," she explained. An expert who practices responsible sourcing, properly stores fish to keep it fresh, and cares about selling a high-quality product can guide you as to which varieties are best to eat raw.

We've said a lot about how not to make crudo, but we also got to ask Nurdjaja how to do it properly. In terms of fish choices, she picked tuna as her "go-to" and said she also enjoys fluke for its heartier texture and versatility. You'll find crudo with everything from whitefish to salmon to scallops, though. From there, Nurdjaja says that good crudo should be served thinly sliced and in a cold bowl, with minimal fixings: think olive oil, sea salt, and citrus on a well-sourced fresh (but not freshwater) fish.