Salmon Tartare with Avocado and Wasabi

Salmon cubes marinated in a tangy Asian dressing, paired with fresh mango, coriander and finished with a creamy avocado and wasabi sauce, make it a restaurant quality modern version of tartare.

This is one of my favourite recipes that I have been carrying around during my chef travels. Having worked in Dubai, I learned to break up traditional recipes and mix them with different cuisines. The salmon tartare is one of them, classic French but with a modern twist.

Living by the coast, I love to eat raw seafood, especially if paired with Japanese ingredients like soy, mirin and wasabi.

The dish is so refreshing and light but elegantly balanced, it always hit the spot with guests when it was on my menus. We show you step by step how you can recreate this dish at home and plate it up just like in a restaurant.

Jump to:

• TARTARE INGREDIENTS
• HOW TO MAKE SALMON TARTARE
• MAKE IT A CANAPE
• FAQ's
• Salmon Tartare with Avocado and Wasabi

what is tartare?

Tartare refers to raw meat like beef or veal, cut into small dices and mixed with condiments. Most commonly with shallots, cornichons, capers, mustard and raw egg yolk besides other ingredients.

However, nowadays even vegetables (watch how a famous carrot tartar is made) or fruits diced in a raw state and mixed with other finely chopped seasonings are referred to as tartare

There are two ways of serving it - you either assemble the tartare in the kitchen or prepare the dish tableside, like it's done in restaurants in France.

TARTARE INGREDIENTS

To make this salmon tartare with avocado you need the following ingredients:

Salmon fillet needs to be fresh. Preferably use sashimi grade salmon as this is the quality you can eat raw without any hesitation. Frozen fish is not an option. To save time ask your fishmonger to remove bones and skin already.

Ginger & shallots go into the tartare however you can replace shallots with red onions and leave out ginger if you dislike it raw.

Coriander adds freshness to the dish but if you don't like coriander, just replace it with chives, parsley or spring onions.

Mango adds a pleasant sweetness to the tartare. When buying mango, choose a semi ripe one so that it can be easily cut into cubes. For a less sweet option, replace the mango with green apple, nashi pear or cucumber.

Avocado & Wasabi are combined together with lemon juice and salt to make a smooth sauce. You can find the steps of how to make it here.

Sesame seeds are toasted and added to the tartare. These can be replaced with other seeds like linseed, poppy seed or buckwheat.

Mirin, rice vinegar, soy sauce & lime make the dressing for the salmon tartare. These sauces are easily available in Asian shops. Alternatively you can dress the salmon with just olive oil and lemon juice.

HOW TO MAKE SALMON TARTARE

The salmon tartare is a combination of diced salmon, other raw ingredients, the dressing and the garnish.

For this recipe, there is no cooking involved which makes it the ultimate light lunch to replace a salad. Or you can also serve it as a fancy Japanese Style appetizer for special occasions.

the dressing

For the dressing simply mix the mirin, rice vinegar and soy sauce together and add the zest and juice from one lime. You want a light dressing because we do not want to overpower the raw salmon.

the condiments for the tartare

All the ingredients added to the salmon are 'condiments' as we call it in a professional kitchen. The condiments consist of finely chopped shallots, ginger and chopped coriander. Additionally, we need cubed mango and toasted sesame seeds.

cutting the salmon

Leave the salmon for at least an hour in the fridge before cutting it, that way it's easier to handle. You might read in other recipes, that the salmon should be put in the freezer before using it but we don't recommend this at all - a sharp knife is all you need!

Cut the salmon into slices like sashimi with the thickness of your smallest finger. Then cut the slices into stripes and finally into cubes. Place in a bowl and set aside.

AS A NOTE: If you are busy in the kitchen and want to prep ahead, the salmon can be cut and kept in the fridge.

mixing the tartare

Once you have gathered all the ingredients for the tartare, you can start mixing them together. Combine the diced salmon, shallots, ginger, coriander, mango and sesame seeds and add a pinch of sea salt (gentle with the salt as the soy sauce adds saltiness too).

Add the mirin dressing spoon by spoon and taste as you go. You can always add more if required.

plating the tartare

For plating, use a large ring cutter and place the salmon tartare inside. Alternatively you can place the salmon mix in a shallow bowl which looks great without having to use a ring cutter.

Avoid pressing down the tartare, you want it to look appetizing and not squishy when presenting it to your guests.

garnishing the tartare

For garnishing, I added our homemade avocado and wasabi sauce in form of dots. If you don't have a squeeze bottle, you can use a piping bag or just a spoon.

Further I added sliced radish and few herbs like shiso and sorrel. We serve the salmon tartare usually with thin lavosh crackers on the side. Some other options can be a simple green salad, toasted bread or chips.

MAKE IT A CANAPE

To serve the salmon tartare with avocado as a snack or canape, place the mixed salmon tartare on top of a cracker and garnish with avocado sauce and herbs for a lovely bite size presentation.

The recipe will make about 18-20 portions.

FAQ's

Salmon tartare is an elegant appetizer with delicate flavours. Besides being light and healthy, it is quick and easy to prepare which makes this a great option for your next dinner party, cocktail or even a date night😉.

For a similar salmon preparation, try our beetroot cured salmon gravedlax, or this hamachi crudo recipe, both are delicious as an entrée, canape or even as a share platter.