Crispy Spicy Tuna Dip & Chablis
Creamy, crispy, melt-in-your-mouth spicy tuna sashimi with a meant-to-be kinda wine pairing
You know that feeling when you’re halfway through a spicy tuna roll and already thinking about ordering another one? Picture that, but better. The creamy spicy richness you love from spicy mayo, loads of melt-in-your-mouth tuna sashimi, and the perfect touch of crunch from the chili crisp to tie it all together.
I like to think of Chardonnay as the potato of wine. Even if you hate mashed potatoes, you can’t possibly hate French fries, right? So if you say “I hate Chardonnay” (which unfortunately I hear way too often), you’re pretty much saying you hate French fries. And that’s just crazy talk.
The Dip
I’ve been meaning to make this one for a while, and the perfect opportunity finally presented itself. It was my daughter’s first birthday this week, so I decided to create an “I’m not pregnant” board - a combination of all the things I craved constantly in pregnancy but was told I couldn’t have - to celebrate surviving our first year of parenthood. I’ll share all the details of the board (along with the recipe for my caviar dip!!) in the next couple days, so stay tuned for that!
This board was seriously what dreams are made of, but it was a lot. We crushed most of it (especially the oysters and caviar), but there was just enough tuna sashimi left to make this dip!
Last year I made my 7-Layer Sushi Dip , which is basically a deconstructed California roll and it was SO good. I went with the same approach for this one, but deconstructed spicy tuna sashimi instead. In other words, a bowl of that spicy sauce we all love topped with a whole lot of fresh tuna sashimi. What really sets this one apart though is the chili crisp. I used the same stuff in my recent Chili Crisp Parm Dip and haven’t stopped thinking about it since! I added some directly into the spicy mayo base for that crunch factor, then sprinkled more on top of the sashimi for the perfect touch of spicy crunchy deliciousness. I finished it off with some chopped pickled ginger, fresh chives, and of course a sprinkle of furikake! This one was way too good. I ate it with Ruffles Spicy Garlic Chips, which was honestly sooo good, but you could also serve it with crispy nori snacks and sushi rice for a fun deconstructed sushi meal!
The Pairing
This dip has a lot going on — spice, richness, umami, and a hit of acid from the ginger and vinegar. I knew I needed a wine that could bring structure without competing with the flavours or amping up the spice, and Chablis delivered. I specifically went with the Madame Veuve Point Chablis - such a stunning wine that is perfectly crisp, zesty, mineral-driven, and perfect with this dip in so many ways. In Alberta you can find this wine exclusively at Highlander Wine & Spirits.
What is Chablis?
The wine that peaked my interest as a 20-something year old who knew little-to-nothing about wine. Chablis is a stunning white wine with a perfectly beautiful name. I was a ‘Marlborough Sauvy B-or-nothing’ kinda gal for longer than I’d like to admit, but I’ll never forget my first taste of Chablis. It was one of those sips that opened my eyes to what wine truly had to offer, so I’ll be forever grateful and in love with it.
Chablis is Chardonnay at its purest. Yes, Chablis is not a grape, but the name a small subregion of the larger Burgundy wine region in France. The wines that come out of Chablis are crisp, dry whites made from 100% Chardonnay. If you’re into the nerdy stuff that makes wine so special, here’s a deeper dive into the place and the grape.
The Place
Chablis sits at the very northern tip of Burgundy, where the weather is cool (and often wet) with cold winters, mild summers, and a short growing season. Why does this matter? Since it doesn’t get hot and the growing season is short, the grapes ripen slowly and are harvested early. Slow ripening means more flavour development, and early harvesting means more acidity is retained. The climate in northern Burgundy is one of the main reasons wines from Chablis are so fresh and crisp!
The Coolest Part of Chablis: Kimmeridgian Soil
The primary soil type in Chablis is called Kimmeridgian soil. Stick with me while I get a bit nerdy here, but this soil type (and its impact on the wine) is in my opinion one of the coolest things in the world of wine. Kimmeridgian soil is an ancient limestone-clay soil that formed over 150 million years ago. It’s full of fossilized oyster shells and marine sediments and its highly porous (AKA it drains quickly). And here’s why all this matters:
The fossilized oyster shells and marine sediments in the soil contribute to this wine’s characteristic flinty minerality, subtle chalky texture, and salty ‘crushed seashell’ finish.
The soil’s quick drainage means that even with all the rain in the region, the vines struggle to find water. While that might sound like a bad thing, it’s actually amazing when it comes to wine. Less water means fewer, more flavour-packed grapes and slower ripening, which means more complex, crisp, delicious wine.
The Grape: Chardonnay
Even if you think you hate Chardonnay, don’t run!! Chardonnay is a chameleon. It can thrive in cool or warm climates, and can change so drastically depending on where it’s grown and how it’s made. So that rich and buttery stuff from California (which is delicious in its own right), is just as much Chardonnay as a Blanc de Blanc from Champagne or, in this case, a crisp Chablis. Same same, but different.
I like to think of Chardonnay as the potato of wine. Even if you hate mashed potatoes, you can’t possibly hate French fries, right? So if you say “I hate Chardonnay” (which unfortunately I hear way too often), you’re pretty much saying you hate French fries. And that’s just crazy talk. All that to say, Chardonnay is the perfect grape for Chablis. When you have an area with such a unique and expressive terroir - aka how a wine’s natural environment impacts its flavour) - you want a grape that’s along for ride rather than one that likes to steal the show.
Chablis is usually fermented and aged in stainless steel or neutral oak, aka oak barrels that have been used to the point that they don’t leach any flavour into the wine. Neither of these change the flavour of the wine, meaning the final product is fresh, crisp, and a pure reflection of the grape and its environment (or again, terroir).
Why Chablis Pairs Perfectly with Spicy Tuna
High acidity + creamy base
The creamy base of this dip is rich, but Chablis has the kind of acidity that slices right through it — keeping your palate refreshed and preventing the dip from ever feeling heavy.Citrus + heat
The wine’s zesty lemon and fresh green apple flavours balance out the sriracha and chili crisp heat without dulling the spice.Minerality + umami
Between the chili crisp, tuna, and furikake, there’s a ton of savoury umami-ness here. Chablis brings in a lovely chalky minerality that complements those flavours rather than competing with them, and the acidity from the wine amps up the umami flavours so that they really shine!Salt + tuna
That hint of salinity in the wine (thank you, Kimmeridgian soil) matches the natural salinity of raw tuna. It’s that little moment that makes the pairing feel like it belongs together.
Alternative Pairings
If Chablis isn’t your thing (or isn’t in your desired price range), here are some alternatives that would be awesome!
Salty whites:
Picpoul de Pinet from the South of France
Albariño from Rias Baixas, Spain
Muscadet Sevres et Maine from the Loire Valley in France
Aromatic whites:
Sancerre from the Loire Valley in France - this is another gorgeous, crisp white wine from France with the same soil type as Chablis (that lovely Kimmeridgian stuff) which gives them a similar crisp minerality and hint of salinity. They also come at a similar price point (which is not the lowest) but totally worth it.
Dry Riesling from Germany, France (Alsace), or Australia (Clare Valley)
Off-dry Riesling (with a hint of sweet) from Mosel Germany or Alsace France.
Grüner Veltliner from Austria
Sparkling wine like Prosecco or Cava (especially Rosé)
Sake! Always a win with tuna and chili, especially something crisp and dry like Junmai Ginjo, or sparkling Sake is always a treat!
Crispy Spicy Tuna Dip
Serves: 4-6 (or one. no judgement here)
Time: 10 minutes
