Un tartare un peu différent – Tartare de saumon, wasabi, sésame et avocat

This is such an overdue post, since this salmon has been one of my favorites for such a long time. I used to make a similar tartare with ahi tuna (or as we call it in France thon rouge, red tuna), but due to the extinction of wild tuna in East Atlantic Coast and Mediterranean Sea, I stopped buying it and consuming it. I think that’s the least we can do to protect the species. In France, many famous chefs such as Joël Robuchon, Gaël Orieux, Alain Ducasse and many others are committed to not serve Ahi tuna and other endangered species in their restaurants. According to the experts by year 2050, fishes will have disappeared from the oceans.

Sometimes I feel so guilty for consuming animal products, and definitely want to contribute more to protecting our planet, and maybe one day become a complete vegetarian…but I am not there yet.

I fall in love with wasabi oil, it’s one of those flavored oil that I barely use, most of the time flavored oils have an artificial flavor, but I found this wasabi oil (I don’t remember exactly where) that is incredibly tasty and enhances all kinds of fish tartares and gives it a crisp and fragrant Asian “note”, le saumon a une petite note asiatique!

There are many versions of salmon tartare, and many ways to prepare it, but this one is quite appealing and very pleasant if you like Asian flavors. The beauty of it, is it’s perfect when you have guests, you can prepare it ahead and refrigerate it, you just need to plate it at the last minute. Et voilà, c’est prêt! I think that’s what I’ll make for my Saturday night dinner party.

Ingredients for 2-3

• 5.30 oz (or 300 g) of fresh salmon, finely diced
• 1/2 avocado, diced
• 1/2 red onion, finely diced
• 1 tsp black sesame seeds, toasted
• 1 tbs ponzu shoyu
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 tbs wasabi oil
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper powder
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tbs cilantro, chopped
• 1 scallion, finely chopped
• 1/2 daikon radish, thinly sliced
• sichuan pepper
• salt

Preparation

In a mixing bowl, combine salmon with all the ingredients except for daikon. Mix carefully all ingredients together. Refrigerate for about one hour.

Place daikon in a small plate and arrange salmon tartare on top.

Decorate with avocado, sesame seeds and cilantro. Serve with toasted baguette.

After coming back from New Orleans, I stuffed my fridge with fish and seafood, and it’s almost reaching to an end…I feel so much better when I have light lunches like this one, I get extra energy for the rest of the day.

San Francisco has been quite gloomy lately, the fog has a tough time disappearing and the wind makes you feel like you are in winter. We all know that San Francisco weather is what it is in summer, so I will stop complaining…but still I do enjoy the hot summer nights where you can wear tank tops and can sip a anything you want in a restaurant patio without worrying about the wind blowing your napkin away.

I used sockeye wild salmon for this salad, after reading that farm raised salmon has been injected with artificial color to get that orangey-pinky color, I got a little reluctant to get farm raised salmon. My dilemma is that by fishing in the oceans, wild species, we contribute to its extinction, and maybe one day there will be no more fishes in the oceans. Obviously wild salmon tastes much better and sockeye salmon has such a beautiful deep red color, but at what cost do we want to contribute to destruction the of the environment?

It’s something that has been bothering me and I will have to do more research on the subject. 

Anyway, if you are anti-wild salmon for environmental reasons and feel comfortable consuming farm raised salmon, it’s up to you, I don’t want to eat artificial coloring if no need to.

Ingredients for 2

For the salmon and marinade

• 1/2 lb of salmon fillet
• 1 tbs shoyu or soy sauce
• 1 tbs balsamic vinegar
• 1 small piece ginger, grated
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tbs sesame seeds
• sichuan pepper

For the salad

• 1 carrot, cut in strips
• 1/2 lb cherry medley tomatoes
• 6 radishes
• 1/4 red onion, finely chopped

For the vinaigrette

• 2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
• Juice of one lemon
• 1 tbs cilantro, finely chopped
• salt and pepper

Preparation

Marinate salmon in marinade ingredients for about 4 hours. Cut in thin strips, add sesame seeds and broil in oven for a few minutes.

For the carrots, you can use a potato peeler to get those thin strips, if the strips are too wide, cut them in half lengthwise. Slice radishes in thin slices. Mix the rest of the ingredients all together. Add vinaigrette and toss. Keep some vinaigrette to sprinkle on top of the salmon.

When salmon is cooked, plate with some salad in the middle of the plate and salmon strips on top. Sprinkle with remaining vinaigrette.