Chef Kevin Jordan’s Red Snapper Crudo

SKILL LEVEL: Advanced

Featuring Red Snapper from

A bright, clean crudo built around a beautiful red snapper from Seremoni and some additional components that each pull their weight: cilantro oil, a ponzu with heat from Calabrian chili, avocado puree, and watermelon radish for crunch. The kind of dish that looks stunning but comes together in a few focused steps.

We served this dish for Chef Kevin Jordan’s first course at his Lineup Dinner (Season 9, Episode 2: 5/21/2026)

INGREDIENTS

For the Fish:

• 1 whole rockfish/red snapper fileted and pinboned

• 2 teaspoons kosher salt

For the Cilantro Oil

• 1 bunch cilantro, roots removed, leaves and tender stems  

• ½ cup Canola oil, divided 

For the Spicy Fish Vinaigrette

• 2 tablespoons neutral oil

• 2 medium gloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped

• ¼ cup chopped leeks, white and light green parts

• 1 tablespoon ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

• 1 small shallot, roughly chopped

• 1 tablespoon mirin

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce

• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

• ¼ teaspoon granulated sugar

• ½ teaspoon Calabrian chili

• 1 lime

For the Avocado Puree

• 1 1/2 medium avocados, pitted and skins removed. 

• 1 cup Crème Fraiche

• 1 pinch citric acid, optional

For the Avocado Relish

• 1 teaspoon neutral oil

• 1 scallion

• 1/2 small shallot, peeled and finely chopped

• 1/2 radish, finely chopped

• 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar

• Kosher salt, to taste

To Garnish

• 1/2 radish, preferably watermelon radish, thinly sliced and shot in an ice bath

• 1 small package seaweed rice crackers, crumbled 

• Flaky salt, to taste

STEPS

1. Filet your fish using a sharp knife, remove the skin and use tweezers to remove the pinbones. 

2. Cure the fish. Place the prepared filet onto a medium plate or sheet tray and cover all surfaces of the filet lightly with 1 teaspoon salt. Place into the refrigerator for 20 minutes to cure. 

3. Remove the fish from the pan and wash the salt cure off of the filet. Dry thoroughly with a paper towel. Wrap and store back in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve. 

4. Using a chef’s knife, chop cilantro and place in a blender with ½ cup canola oil. Blend until smooth. Heat a pan until very hot and pour the mixture in. Cook for 4-7 minutes until it’s greener. Pour through a fine mesh straighter lined with a cheesecloth over a small bowl. Cool over ice to retain the color. This will be cilantro oil for future applications.

5. Add 2 tablespoons of neutral oil to a small pot over medium heat. Once shimmering, sautee garlic, leeks, ginger, and shoot fragrant, about 2-3 minutes.  

6. Deglaze with mirin and allow the alcohol to cook off. Add equal parts soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, and a pinch of sugar. Reduce by 25% and add Calabrian chili.

7. Strain through a fine mesh strainer into a small bowl and cool. Before service the juice of ½ a lime.

8. Place 1 and ½ avocados into a blender with a pinch of citric acid* and cream fraiche. Add cilantro oil, 1 teaspoon at a time, as needed to blend until smooth. Season with salt to taste. 

9. Place a pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon of neutral oil. Once shimmering, add scallion and cook, until charred on both sides, about 1-2 minutes per side. Once cooled, chop into very small pieces and place into a small bowl.

10. Finely dice ½ of an avocado and add to the same small bowl as the scallion. Add in the minced shallot and chopped radish. Season with rice wine vinegar and add 1-2 teaspoons of cilantro oil until nicely green. Season with salt to taste.

11. To assemble, place the 6 pieces of sliced fish on a plate. Add dots of avocado puree around the plate, in the blank space on the plate add avocado relish. Top with radish slices, rice chips, and season everything with the “vinaigrette” and additional cilantro oil. Season with flaky salt as needed. Enjoy! 

*Cook’s Note: citric acid will help prevent the avocado from oxidizing, if you do not have citric acid, puree avocado right before serving