Tartare of Salmon
This salmon tartare makes the perfect elegant appetiser or an indulgent luxurious lunch. Traditionally Tartare de Saumon is made with fresh salmon but this requires sushi grade salmon which is not always easy to get hold of so I came up with this smoked salmon alternative.
Tartare de Saumon is very popular all over France where it is considered a bistro summer classic dish. Salmon tartare was my go-to working refreshing summer lunch when I lived in Geneva, Switzerland, where it popped up on most bistro menus during the summer months. You can also find decent salmon tartare at seafood counters such as Caviar House in many European airports. Its a nice quick and healthy option before take-off.
I normally use high quality smoked salmon fillets for this salmon tartare recipe. Being Irish, I am a devotee of our artisan Irish smoked salmons but if I can’t get that I also like brands like Caviar House’s Balik who do an excellent salmon loin or ‘coeur du saumon’.
The zucchini gives crunch to this salmon tartare dish - I was lucky to find pale and tender Lebanese zucchini for this salmon tartare which can be eaten raw. If you can only find regular zucchini, then I recommend steaming them for 1-2 minutes and then dressing them immediately while they are still warm.
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Ingredients
7oz /200g of smoked salmon fillet, cubed
1 avocado
1 zucchini (courgette), cubed
3 tablespoons of pink grapefruit or orange juice
Juice of 1 lime
1 tablespoon of of olive oil
A handful of chives, chopped
Radishes, thinly sliced to garnish
Salt & Pepper
Method
Place the salmon cubes in a bowl with the grapefruit juice and a teaspoon of the lime juice. Stir and leave to marinade.
Place the radish slices in a bowl of iced water so that they are nice and crunchy.
Steam the cubed zucchini for 1-2 minutes only. Dress immediately while still warm with the olive oil and season well with salt.
To make the avocado puree, scoop out the flesh and combine with the juice of half a lime, half a teaspoon of salt, and a tablespoon of olive oil. Work into a smooth paste.
Drain off any excess liquid from the salmon and mix in the chopped chives.
To assemble the salmon tartare, pipe or carefully spread a layer of the avocado puree on a plate. Top with a layer of zucchini cubes, followed by a layer of the salmon tartare. Garnish with drained sliced radishes. Serve immediately while cold.
References
The Oxford Companion to Food, 1998, Alan Davidson
Nuts and Seeds in Health and Disease Prevention 2011. Chapter 122 - Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) Seeds in Food, Nutrition, and Health 2011, Pages 1029-1036 MohamedElleuch, DorotheaBedigian, AdelZitoun,