Salmon Tartare with Avocado and Cucumber
- Savory
- Quick
- No cook
Sushi-grade salmon diced and dressed with soy sauce and lime, folded with creamy avocado and crisp cucumber. A bright, no-cook tartare to open a New Year's Eve table.
- Total
- 18 min
- Prep 18
- Serves
- 2
- Difficulty
- Easy
You'll practice: Dicing · Folding
Instructions
-
Chill the mixing bowl and serving plates in the fridge while you work, so the tartare stays cold. Keep the salmon fillet refrigerated until the moment you cut it.
~2 min
Keeping everything cold slows bacterial growth and preserves the salmon's firm texture, which is essential for a raw dish.
-
Pat the salmon fillet dry with paper towel and cut it into 5 mm dice with a sharp chef's knife, cutting against the grain. Keep the pieces cold and do not mash them.
~5 min
Drying removes surface moisture so the dressing clings, and cutting against the grain shortens fibres for a tender bite.
Dice everything to the same 5 mm size so each spoonful has salmon, avocado and cucumber in balance.
Dicing Cut ingredients into even 5 mm cubes by first slicing into planks, then sticks, then cubes. Keep the knife sharp and use a gentle sawing motion to avoid mashing delicate fish or avocado.
-
Cut the avocado in half, remove the stone, and dice the flesh into 5 mm cubes. Peel the cucumber, halve it lengthways, scoop out the watery seeds, and dice into 5 mm cubes.
~5 min
Removing the cucumber's watery seeds prevents the tartare from becoming soggy and diluting the dressing.
Dicing Cut ingredients into even 5 mm cubes by first slicing into planks, then sticks, then cubes. Keep the knife sharp and use a gentle sawing motion to avoid mashing delicate fish or avocado.
-
Zest the lime into the chilled mixing bowl, then juice it to get about 2 tbsp lime juice. Whisk in the soy sauce, 0.25 tsp salt and 0.25 tsp black pepper.
~2 min
Zesting before juicing captures the aromatic oils in the peel, while whisking dissolves the salt and blends the dressing evenly.
-
Add the salmon, avocado and cucumber to the bowl with the lime dressing and fold gently with a spoon until evenly coated. Taste and adjust the salt.
~3 min
Folding gently keeps the delicate salmon and avocado cubes intact instead of crushing them into a paste.
Folding Use a large spoon to lift and turn the mixture gently from the bottom, rather than stirring, so the cubes stay intact and the dressing coats evenly.
-
Spoon the tartare into lightly packed rings or small mounds on the chilled plates, scatter the 1 tbsp sesame seeds over the top, and serve immediately.
~1 min
