Equipment
Ingredients
Fish and Produce
- 200 g sushi-grade wild salmon, skinless, pin bones removed
- 1 avocado, firm but ripe
- 1 english cucumber, unpeeled, washed
Marinade
- 15 ml soy sauce
- 5 ml toasted sesame oil
- 5 ml unseasoned rice vinegar
- 5 g fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
- 10 g scallion, finely sliced
- 3 g black sesame seeds, toasted
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 54 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbohydrates
- 2 g
- Fat
- 5 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 0 g
- Sodium
- 290 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Potassium
- 67 mg
- Calcium
- 40 mg
- Iron
- 1.6 mg
- Magnesium
- 43 mg
- Phosphorus
- 48 mg
- Zinc
- 0.2 mg
- Vitamin A
- 35 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 1 mg
- Vitamin E
- 0.2 mg
- Vitamin K
- 5 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.0 mg
- Thiamin
- 0.01 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.02 mg
- Niacin
- 0.2 mg
- Folate
- 9 mcg
- Water
- 17 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Using a very sharp chef's knife, slice the fresh wild salmon into neat 5 millimeter cubes. Maintain strict hygiene and keep the fish chilled below 4 degrees Celsius or 40 degrees Fahrenheit while working.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, unseasoned rice vinegar, finely grated fresh ginger, sliced scallion, and black sesame seeds.
Add the diced salmon to the marinade. Gently toss to coat the fish evenly, cover the bowl, and refrigerate for exactly 10 minutes to lightly cure the salmon without breaking down its delicate texture.
While the salmon marinates, halve, pit, and peel the avocado. Dice the flesh into 5 millimeter cubes on a clean cutting board, matching the size of the salmon as closely as possible.
Cut the English cucumber into 5 millimeter thick rounds. Arrange these rounds flat on your chilled serving platter.
Remove the marinated salmon from the refrigerator. Gently fold the diced avocado into the mixture, taking care not to crush or mash the delicate avocado pieces.
Spoon a generous tablespoon of the salmon and avocado mixture onto each cucumber round. Serve immediately to ensure maximum freshness and the perfect textural contrast between the crisp cucumber and buttery salmon.
Chef's Notes
- Sourcing the fish: Always communicate to your fishmonger that you intend to eat the salmon raw. Look for terms like sushi-grade or sashimi-grade, which typically indicates the fish was flash-frozen at sea to eliminate parasites.
- Temperature control: The secret to pristine raw preparations is working cold. Chill your mixing bowl and serving platter in the refrigerator for twenty minutes before assembling.
- Balancing the bite: If your avocado is exceptionally buttery and your salmon is very fatty, consider adding an extra splash of rice vinegar to cut through the richness and elevate the final flavor profile.
Storage
Refrigerator: 2 hours — Must be kept tightly covered and thoroughly chilled. Quality degrades rapidly due to raw fish and avocado oxidation.
Troubleshooting
Salmon cubes look jagged and the texture is mushy rather than beautifully firm.
Cause: Using a dull knife which crushed rather than sliced the flesh, or the fish became too warm during preparation.
Fix: Cannot be fixed once cut, but the mixture remains perfectly safe to eat and can be repurposed into a cooked salmon patty if desired.
Prevention: Ensure your knife is honed sharp. Use smooth, long drawing strokes instead of a sawing motion. Keep fish thoroughly chilled.
Avocado pieces have oxidized and turned an unappetizing brown color.
Cause: Extended exposure to air before serving or assembling the dish too early.
Fix: Cannot be fixed.
Prevention: Dice the avocado at the last possible moment and ensure it gets immediately coated in the slightly acidic marinade.
Cultural Context
While tartare traditionally has European roots, this preparation draws heavy inspiration from Hawaiian poke and Japanese sashimi traditions. The purposeful combination of pristine raw fish, soy sauce, and toasted sesame highlights the natural oceanic sweetness of the seafood while balancing it with deep umami and mild acidity.
