Salmon Tartare Starter

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Salmon Tartare is a fresh and light starter, ideal to serve at the beginning of a seafood dinner. Fresh, light and citrusy, it is so easy to make. Serve it in small cups with a slice of baguette, it is also perfect for a standing buffet party.

What does “tartare” means

“A la Tartare” originally had a completely different meaning. It used to indicate a dish covered with breadcrumbs, grilled and served with a highly seasoned sauce.  Now it is used for a sauce or a raw meat dish.

Tartare sauce is mayonnaise made with hard-boiled egg yolks, onion and chives served with fish, calves’ feet (yes, I know), oysters or Pont Neuf potatoes. I always serve tartare sauce with a seafood platter.

Steak Tartare , on the other hand, is made with raw meat (originally horse meat) served with egg yolk, capers, pepper, Worcestershire sauce and seasoning.  Although in the 1921 edition of Escoffier ‘s La guide Culinaire, Steak Tartare was raw meat served with Tartare sauce.

Now Tartare applies to other raw dishes like fish or meat, as for example, Tuna Tartare introduced by Le Duc in Paris in 1975.

For those of you who don’t know,  Chef Auguste Escoffier was the “Chef of the Kings and the King of Chefs”, this title earned during his direction of the kitchen at the Savoy Hotel from 1890-99. I went to visit his museum and you can watch it on my youtube channel: Museum Escoffier Villeneuve Loubet

Difference between Tartare, Carpaccio, Sushi and Ceviche

French, Italian, Japanese and Peruvian, they are all recipes with raw fish as their main ingredient. More specifically tartare and carpaccio were originally referring to recipes with raw meat, but the word is now also used for raw fish or even vegetables.

The recipes are very different from each other but both Ceviche and Carpaccio use lemon or citrus fruit juice to marinate the fish. Sushi is marinated with Soya sauce and Rice Vinegar, while Steak Tartare uses raw egg yolk, capers, pepper and Worcestershire sauce.

In the Carpaccio, the main ingredient is usually cut in very thin slices, whilst in the Tartare and Ceviche the main ingredient is cut into small chunks.

Whatever recipe you are making, you need to make sure your fish has been treated to be eaten raw.

How to buy fish to eat raw

Since salmon tartare is made with raw salmon, you need to ensure that the salmon is very fresh and can be eaten raw, similar to the salmon used for Sushi.

THE SALMON SHOULD HAVE BEEN STORED AT -4 F/-20 C FOR AT LEAST 7 DAYS

This treatment kills all parasites and bacteria, making the fish safe to eat. For additional information, you can find the recommendations from the FDA here.

Buy it from your favourite fishmonger and ask specifically if it is suitable for sushi. In France, I buy it at Carrefour Antibes.

As an alternative, if you cannot find a properly treated fish, you can use smoked salmon.

Cooking with lemon juice

However, the salmon is not completely raw as it seasoned with lemon juices and marinated for at least 30 minutes.

The acid from the lemon juice produces an effect of denaturation on the fish which is similar to cooking, even if it is not exactly the same thing.

The salmon will change colour and will look cooked. Cut the salmon into small cubes to make sure it is evenly seasoned with lemon juice.

Ingredients

• 10 oz – 300 g of fresh salmon cured at low temperature
• 1/4 of red onion
• 1/2 cucumber
• 1/4 tsp original English mustard
• 1 not treated lemon
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

SUBSTITUTION: I use original English mustard as I like it extra spicy, but you can use regular mustard.

Besides salmon, you can also make this recipe with tuna or shrimps.

Making the salmon tartare

1. Cut the salmon into small cubes with a sharp knife.
2. Chop a 1/4 of a red onion very finely and add to the salmon
3. Do the same with the cucumber, but first, remove the core with the seeds as it will make the tartare too watery.
4. Season with mustard, lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil
5. Add salt and pepper to taste and stir
6. Let it rest for at least 30 minutes in the fridge

Serving the salmon tartare

8. Pour it into 6 small glasses
9. Cut some slices of fresh baguette, one for each glass
10. Place the slice of baguette on top of the tartare just before serving

More French starters for a standing party

This salmon tartare is a perfect starter for a standing party as guests can easily serve themselves and eat it standing. Another typical French starter with salmon is (1) Salmon with Blini, smoked salmon served over a savoury pancake.

If you would like something different you can serve the (2) savoury pancakes with other toppings, and here are some ideas.

Other French starters on my blog are 3 recipes I took from Escoffier’s La guide Culinair: 

(3) Rissole à la Dauphine: minced meat wrapped in a brioche pastry

(4) Bouchée à la Reine: generically call Vol au vent, light flaky pastry filled with mushrooms in a white sauce

(5) Cheese Gougère Bourguignonne: puff pastries where sugar is replaced by cheese

Last but not least, (6) Pissaladiere a typical dish from the South of France, a pizza made with onions and anchovies.

Tips for making the best salmon tartare

• Since salmon tartare is made with raw salmon, you need to ensure that the salmon is very fresh and can be eaten raw
• The salmon should have been stored at -4 F / -20 C for at least 7 days. This treatment kills all parasites and bacteria, making the fish safe to eat
• As an alternative, if you cannot find a properly treated fish, you can use smoked salmon.
• Cut the salmon into small cubes to make sure it is evenly seasoned with lemon juice.
• SUBSTITUTION: I use English mustard as I like it extra spicy, but you can use regular mustard.
• Besides salmon, you can also make this recipe with fresh tuna or shrimps.
• It has to rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes but you can also leave it for a couple of hours

If you are making this salmon tartare starter leave your comment below I would like to hear from you. You can find more delicious ideas if you FOLLOW ME on Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest and Instagram or sign up to my newsletter.

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5 from 7 votes

Salmon Tartare Starter

Salmon Tartare is a fresh and light starter, ideal to serve at the beginning of a seafood dinner. Fresh, light and citrusy, it is so easy to make. Serve it in small cups with a slice of baguette, it is also perfect for a standing buffet party.

Prep Time10 mins

Total Time30 mins

Course: Starters

Cuisine: French

Keyword: Raw salmon starter, salmon starter, salmon tartare

Servings: 6 people

Calories: 140kcal

Author: Laura Tobin

Ingredients

• 10 oz fresh salmon cured at low temperature
• 1/2 cucumber
• 1/4 red onion
• 1/4 tsp original English mustard or general mustard
• 1 not treated lemon
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil extra virgin
• 2 Slices whole wheat bread for toasts

US Customary - Metric

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Instructions

• Cut the salmon into small cubes with a sharp knife.
• Chop a 1/4 of a red onion very finely and add to the salmon
• Do the same with the cucumber, but first, remove the core with the seeds as it will make the tartare too watery.
• Season with mustard, lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil
• Add salt and pepper to taste and stir
• Let it rest for at least 30 minutes in the fridge.
• Pour it into 6 small glasses
• Cut some slices of fresh baguette, one for each glass
• Place the slice of baguette on top of the tartare just before serving.

Video

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Notes

Tips for making the best salmon tartare

• Since salmon tartare is made with raw salmon, you need to ensure that the salmon is very fresh and can be eaten raw
• The salmon should have been stored at -4 F / -20 C for at least 7 days. This treatment kills all parasites and bacteria, making the fish safe to eat
• As an alternative, if you cannot find a properly treated fish, you can use smoked salmon.
• Cut the salmon into small cubes to make sure it is evenly seasoned with lemon juice.
• SUBSTITUTION: I use English mustard as I like it extra spicy, but you can use regular mustard.
• Besides salmon, you can also make this recipe with fresh tuna or shrimps.
• It has to rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes but you can also leave it for a couple of hours

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Salmon Tartare Starter

Amount Per Serving

Calories 140 Calories from Fat 72

% Daily Value*

Fat 8g12%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Cholesterol 26mg9%

Sodium 67mg3%

Potassium 306mg9%

Carbohydrates 6g2%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 10g20%

Vitamin A 35IU1%

Vitamin C 10.6mg13%

Calcium 23mg2%

Iron 0.8mg4%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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