Salmon Tartare

Dice salmon into small chunks (roughly 1/4 x 1/4 x 1/2 inch) and place in a glass or nonreactive bowl. (In unsure how to dice salmon, see tips below.)

Add lime juice, lime zest, scallions, serrano and habañero pepper, ginger, sesame oil, and olive oil to the bowl. Toss gently. Add salt, a few grinds of black pepper, and cilantro. Again, toss gently. Season to taste. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the fridge until ready to use.

In the meantime, place white sesame seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 3–5 minutes. Remove from heat and combine with black sesame seeds. Set aside.

When ready to serve, assemble the tartare as individual portions or plate in a decorative platter for sharing. Sprinkle each plate with a generous pinch of sesame seeds and a few chopped scallions for garnish.

Notes and recommendations:
1. If the salmon is frozen (as sushi grade fish often comes), keep the fish in its packaging and run under cold water to partially thaw till just the middle remains slightly firm. Remove from the packaging. If salmon is not frozen, place in freezer for 15–20 minutes prior to handling.
2. Taste as you go and adjust the recipe accordingly. This recipe is very delicate, so I’d recommend adding in ingredients gradually until you reach the desired result. Too much sesame oil can ruin a dish.
3. For best results, allow dish to sit in fridge for at least 1 hour prior to serving, though it’s still delicious served immediately.

How to dice salmon for dummies:
Take the (mostly) thawed salmon and slice lengthwise into 1/4-inch sheets using a sharp knife. For the salmon pieces that are rectangular (i.e have a constant width along the sheet), cut them in half lengthwise to form long strips (about 1/2 inch wide). If the salmon sheets are wide at one end and taper off towards the other, start by cutting the sheet crosswise at the wide-narrow transition point. The wider piece is then cut in half lengthwise to form strips, whereas the narrow piece should already be at the desired width. Finally, cut each strip crosswise into 1/4-inch pieces to form bite-size chunks. (See related blog post for photos.)