Asian Inspired Tuna Salmon Tartare

A duo of favorite fish complemented with hints of sesame, ginger and cilantro; this Asian Tuna Salmon Tartare makes for a refreshing light meal or appetizer

In this Asian Tuna Salmon Tartare, a popular duo of very mild flavored fish gets complemented with hints of toasted sesame, zesty ginger and fresh cilantro. That delightful flavor combination makes for an amazing light and refreshing meal or appetizer. Now, I don’t know about you, but I certainly wouldn’t say no to that!

Mind you, I happen to be a huge fan of raw fish. If I had my way, I could eat sushi every single day of my life. Or well, at least 2-3 times a week. And I’d even make it at home, too, if only it weren’t that expensive and complicated to make. Cuz yeah, I find even homemade sushi can get kind of pricey and time consuming, especially if you like to have a decent selection available.

But this colorful tartare is super quick and easy to make — especially if you happen to have some leftover cooked sushi rice in the fridge — won’t cost you an arm and a leg, and since it gets served on a bed of rice, is quite reminiscent of sushi, too! Kind of…

Not only that, but the fact that it gets served on a bed of rice makes having crackers on the side kind of unnecessary. Of course, you could still have some available if you wanted to, but personally, I find that the rice alone adds enough contrast in flavors and texture to make the experience complete!

As for the zesty sauce, it simply takes the adventure to a whole new level.

I’m telling you, even if you think you’re not a fan of tartare, I get the feeling that you would like this one quite a lot.

Care to give it a try?

If you don’t have the leftover cooked rice, then obviously, the first task you’ll want to tackle is cook and cool some rice. But that won’t take much time at all; and make some extra while you’re at it – cooked rice is always such a handy thing to have in the fridge…

While that’s happening, you’ll want to work on the sauce. Do this now because firstly, you’ll need to be adding a few tablespoons of it to your tartare mixture, and also too because you’ll be wanting to serve your tartare promptly once it’s been plated. Making that sauce couldn’t be easier though: simply combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Done!

A good trick when making tartare is to fill a large bowl with ice cubes and place a smaller bowl over these ice cubes so it gets really icy cold. This will allow you to work on your tartare without worrying about bacteria and will keep the ingredients fresh.

Once your bowls have been set up, use a sharp knife to cut the salmon into very small cubes of approximately ¼-inch and then transfer the fish the chilled bowl; repeat that same process with the tuna fish.

Add the rest of the tartare ingredients to the chilled bowl, as well as 2 tablespoons of the sauce you just made, and stir just to combine.

Handle the mixture as little as possible to ensure that it remains as cold as can be and also to help preserve the delicate texture of the fish.

Now place a 3″ round cookie cutter directly onto a serving plate and put 2 to 3 tablespoons of cooked sushi rice into the ring.

Cover the rice with a piece of plastic film and pack it down firmly into a disc with the help of a flat bottomed object such as a small drinking glass.

Spoon about a tablespoon of the sauce over the packed rice…

Top the rice with enough fish mixture to fill the cookie cutter and then flatten the top by pressing it down lightly with a spoon, or better yet, with that same flat object you just used for the rice.

If necessary, wipe excess sauce from around the cookie cutter with a paper towel before you remove the ring.

Remove the cookie cutter and garnish your tartare with a pinch of sesame seeds, a few pieces of green onion “leaves” and fresh cilantro.

Repeat that same process 3 more times with the remaining rice and tartare mixture; serve immediately with the rest of the sauce.

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5 from 5 votes

Asian Inspired Tuna Salmon Tartare

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Time to cook and cool the rice: 4 hours hours

Total Time: 20 minutes minutes

A duo of favorite fish complemented with hints of sesame, ginger and cilantro; this Asian Tuna Salmon Tartare makes for a refreshing light meal or appetizer

Servings: 4

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

The sauce

• 1/4 cup tamari , (or coconut aminos)
• 2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 2 tbsp unseasoned rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp unpasteurized honey
• 1 tbsp sambal oelek
• 1 tbsp minced fresh ginger root
• 2 cloves garlic, minced

The tartare

• 10.6 oz fresh sushi grade skinless salmon fillet
• 10.6 oz ffresh sushi grade tuna
• 1 green onion, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
• 2 tbsp panko breadcrumbs
• 1 tsp black sesame seeds
• 1/4 tsp salt, I use Himalayan salt

To assemble and garnish

• About 3/4 cup cooked sushi rice, cooled
• sesame seeds
• fresh cilantro
• green onions, green parts only

Instructions

• In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients for the sauce, mix well and set aside.
• Next, fill a large bowl with ice cubes and place a smaller bowl over these ice cubes so it gets really cold. This will allow you to work on your tartare without worrying about keeping the ingredients fresh.
• Using a sharp knife, cut the salmon into very small cubes of approximately ¼-inch and transfer to the chilled bowl; repeat with the tuna fish.
• Add the rest of the tartare ingredients to the chilled bowl, as well as 2 tablespoons of the reserved sauce, and stir just to combine. Handle the mixture as little as possible to ensure that it remains as cold as can be and to help preserve the delicate texture of the fish.
• Place a 3" round cookie cutter directly onto a serving plate and place 2 to 3 tablespoons of cooked sushi rice into the ring. Cover the rice with a piece of plastic film and pack it down firmly into a disc with the help of a flat object such as a small drinking glass. Spoon about a tablespoon of the sauce over the packed rice.
• Top with enough tartare mixture to fill the cookie cutter and then flatten the top by pressing it down lightly with a spoon (or better yet, with your flat object).
• If necessary, wipe excess sauce from around the cookie cutter with a paper towel, then remove the ring and garnish with a little bit of extra sesame seeds, a green onion "leaves" and fresh cilantro.
• Repeat 3 more times with the remaining rice and tartare mixture; serve immediately with the rest of the sauce.

Nutrition

Calories: 360kcal, Carbohydrates: 12g, Protein: 35g, Fat: 18g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 69mg, Sodium: 1057mg, Potassium: 634mg, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 1715IU, Vitamin C: 1.7mg, Calcium: 79mg, Iron: 2.7mg

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Asian

Author: Sonia! The Healthy Foodie

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