Kingfish crudo with mandarin and jalapeño

This kingfish crudo with a mandarin and jalapeño vinaigrette dressing is my idea of a perfect snacky plate. Something to enjoy with a glass of wine, or simply served as a sharing plate at dinner. It’s light, bright, spicy and a little sweet.

There are a couple of components involved in this dish but the prep time itself is no more than 15 minutes. First a herb oil (whizzed up in the blender and strained), then the citrus vinaigrette, and finally assembly. It’s the type of dish that looks impressive, but really takes next to no time to pull together.

I used black kingfish (cobia) for this, but it would also work incredibly well with Yellowtail kingfish, scallops or even salmon. The dressing makes fantastic use of all of the beautiful winter citrus we have in Australia right now, and I think the lovely sweetness and floral notes from the mandarin, paired with the spiciness from the jalapeño makes it a really versatile dressing to serve with a range of raw seafoods.

Why you’ll love this kingfish crudo recipe

• Fresh and vibrant – a restaurant-quality starter that perfectly balances zesty citrus notes with a fiery chilli kick.
• Incredibly fast prep – the entire plate comes together in just 15 minutes with absolutely zero cooking required.
• Bright and colourful – the contrast between the vivid green herb oil and bright orange mandarin makes it a stunning centrepiece for entertaining.
• Versatile dressing – this sweet and spicy mandarin vinaigrette can easily pair with almost any high-quality raw fish or shellfish.

Ingredients you’ll need to make this dish

• Kingfish fillet – 200g of ultra-fresh, high-quality kingfish. I used black kingfish (cobia), but yellowtail kingfish works beautifully too.
• Mandarin – the sweet, floral star of the dressing. We use both the freshly squeezed juice and the delicate, skinless segments.
• Jalapeño – finely sliced into rounds to add a fiery kick and contrast to the sweet citrus.
• Shallot & white wine vinegar – finely diced shallot brings a subtle, sharp bite, whilst the vinegar provides that necessary punch of clean acidity.
• Parsley & coriander – blended together with oil to create a bright, herbaceous, and intensely green drizzling oil.
• Neutral oil – used as the base for the herb oil so the fresh flavours of the parsley and coriander can truly sing.
• Flaky sea salt – a final scatter right at the end to elevate all the raw flavours.

How to make this mandarin and jalapeño crudo

1. Blend the herb oil

Add the fresh parsley leaves, coriander leaves, and neutral oil into a high-speed blender. Whiz it up for a couple of minutes until completely liquefied. Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve lined with kitchen paper or a cheesecloth, leaving it to strain and separate from the pulp.

2. Segment the mandarin

Slice the top and bottom off your mandarin so it stands flat on your board. Using a sharp knife, slice downwards following the natural curve of the fruit to remove the peel and white pith. Carefully cut the clean segments out from between the thin membranes, then chop them into small pieces.

3. Mix the vinaigrette

In a small bowl, combine your chopped mandarin pieces, mandarin juice, finely diced shallot, white wine vinegar, and the sliced jalapeño. Season generously with salt and set aside to let the flavours marry.

4. Slice the fish

Carefully slice your fresh kingfish fillet into uniform pieces, aiming for a thickness of about 1cm.

5. Arrange and dress

Lay the kingfish slices elegantly across a large sharing plate (or divide between two smaller plates). Spoon over the mandarin vinaigrette, drizzle with the vibrant green herb oil, and finish with a scattering of flaky sea salt. Serve immediately!

Tips and tricks and substitutions for this crudo

• Fish alternatives – if you can’t source kingfish, you can use scallops or even salmon. Just make sure whatever fish you source is high quality enough to be eaten raw.
• Sashimi-grade is essential – since the fish is served completely raw, always visit a reputable fishmonger and explicitly ask for sashimi or sushi-grade fish to ensure it’s safe and fresh.
• Chilli control – jalapeños can vary in heat. If you prefer a milder kick, gently scrape out the seeds and white ribs before slicing the pepper into rounds.
• Straining the oil – do not squeeze or force the herb oil through the paper towel, or you will push the cloudy pulp through. Let it drip naturally for a beautifully clear, translucent green oil.

What makes this kingfish crudo stand out?

The rich, buttery texture of the sliced kingfish acts as the perfect base for the sharp, floral sweetness of the mandarin and the crisp heat of the jalapeño. Not only do I love how this dish looks (the green/orange contrast is everything!), I love how the the flavours balance and work together harmoniously. A sophisticated-looking plate, requiring minimal effort to achieve!

Kingfish crudo with mandarin and jalapeño

A bright and spicy mandarin jalapeño vinaigrette makes for the perfect dressing for this kingfish crudo, served with a herb oil.

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Course: Appetizer, Side Dish

Keyword: crudo, kingfish, mandarins, winter citrus

Servings: 4 as a sharing plate

Ingredients

• Herb oil
• 25 g parsley leaves
• 50 g coriander leaves
• 150 ml neutral oil or light olive oil
• Vinaigrette
• 1 mandarin
• 60 ml mandarin juice approx 3 tbsp (Australian) / 4 tbsp (UK/US)
• 1 small shallot finely diced
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1 jalapeño finely sliced into rounds
• 200 g high quality kingfish fillet

Instructions

• First make the herb oil so it has time to strain. Simply add the parsley and coriander leaves along with the oil to a high speed blender and blend for a couple of minutes. Pour the mixture through a fine mesh sieve lined with a cheese cloth or paper towel and allow it to drain to remove the herb pulp.
• To segment the mandarin, first cut the top and bottom off of the fruit. Stand the mandarin up on one of its flat ends then using a knife, cut the peel away, slicing downward, following the natural curve of the fruit. Once all the peel and any excess pith is removed, you can cut each segment out between the membranes that divide each section.
• Cut the segments into small pieces ready for the vinaigrette.
• Prep the vinaigrette by adding the mandarin segments, juice, shallot, white vinegar and jalapeño to a bowl and season generously with salt – set aside.
• Prepare the kingfish by slicing into 1cm thick pieces. Arrange on one large plate (or split across two smaller plates), drizzle over the vinaigrette, herb oil and finish with some flakey salt. Serve immediately.