Kampachi Crudo

Compressed Watermelon and Sea Buckthorn-Watermelon Aguachile

Chef Maximillian Petty of Eden Hill | Seattle, WA
Yield: 6 servings

“This dish is a vibrant, high-summer crudo where compressed watermelon and raw kampachi rest in a tangy, sweet-tart broth of sea buckthorn and fresh watermelon. The addition of garlic-fermented honey and maple verjus makes the aguachile balanced, bright, and built for raw fish.” — Chef Maximillian Petty

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Adapted by StarChefs  |  June 2025  |  Photo: Jeriel Calamayan

INGREDIENTS

Compressed Watermelon:
18 grams lime juice
10 grams maple syrup
4 grams rice vinegar
Fine sea salt
500 grams seedless watermelon, cut into batons

Sea Buckthorn-Watermelon Aguachile:
150 grams sea buckthorn berries
100 grams cubed watermelon
60 grams lime juice
50 grams peeled English cucumber
20 grams cilantro stems
25 grams maple verjus
15 grams shallots
10 grams garlic-fermented honey
1 Fresno chile, seeded
40 grams olive oil
12 grams fine sea salt

To Assemble and Serve:
300 grams thinly sliced kampachi

METHOD

For the Compressed Watermelon:
In a mixing bowl, whisk together lime juice, maple syrup, and rice vinegar. Season with salt. Add watermelon and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour. Strain, transfer to an airtight container, and refrigerate.

For the Sea Buckthorn-Watermelon Aguachile:
In a blender, add sea buckthorn, watermelon, lime juice, cucumber, cilantro, verjus, shallots, honey, and chile. Blend until smooth. With the machine running on low, stream in oil and blend until mixture is fully emulsified. Strain through a fine mesh sieve. Season with salt. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate.

To Assemble and Serve:
Arrange Compressed Watermelon on the right side of a serving plate. Shingle kampachi on the left side of the plate. Spoon Sea Buckthorn-Watermelon Aguachile over the fish.

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