Salmon & Avocado tartare

I've become aware of the fact that my time in Singapore is limited (I'm moving back home mid-September) and as my recent visit to London reminded me of the expensive sushi grade salmon prices I decided that it was my last chance to get myself together and actually give making a homemade salmon tartare a go.

I absolutely love tartares - salmon, tuna or a mixture of both and I frequently have them whenever I'm eating out. So, having my hopes up high I did some research on the internet and to my great disappointment I did not find the recipe that I was looking for. Well, to be honest I didn't know what I was looking for exactly, but whatever I found just didn't feel right. Don't get me wrong - the recipes and pictures looked divine, but they were just not was I was looking for. So I had no other choice than to improvise... and it turned out so well that I'm actually thinking of giving tuna tartare a shot as well!

Because I've had quite a few tartares I kind of knew what I wanted mine to have. Also, I was sure about the things that I didn't want my tartare to include - onions and no mayo based dressing, as I wanted to keep it healthy. I love the taste cooked onions give to soups, fry-ups and roasts, but I just don't like raw onions. I never have and the chances are that I'll never will - I even make all my fresh salads without raw onions. But that's just my thing. If you love onions then by all means add some to the tartare. So after deciding on the ingredients and actually buying them it was time to mix it all together. I was aiming for a light, but at the same time creamy, and flavourful tartare. The resulting tartare was exactly what I had wanted for - simple, creamy and with a nice oriental touch. I served my tartare with some cracker bread, but it would also go well with toasted baguette or even Indonesian krupuk.

Also, apart from being really delicious and filling, both avocado and salmon are two of super-foods - so in addition to having a filling meal you're also doing your body a whole lot of good.

Ingredients

(Serves 1)
- 1 Ripe avocado
- 140g sashimi grade salmon fillet, skin removed
- Juice of 1/4 lemon (plus zest to serve)
- 2 tsp sesame seeds
- 3-4 tsp soya sauce
- Small piece of root ginger, crushed
- 1/2 tsp fish sauce
- Crackers, to serve
- Dried coriander, to season
- Pepper, to season

Directions
First halve the avocado, remove the seed and peel both sides. Then smash one side up with a for and add lemon juice, 1-2 tsp soya sauce (it all depends on how salty you like your food), fish sauce and crushed ginger. Mix well and set aside.

Then cube the other half of avocado and salmon and place them in another bowl. Add the remaining soya sauce, 1tsp sesame seeds, some fresh pepper and a pinch of dried coriander. Mix well.

Mix the avocado puree together with the salmon. Place a piece of clingfilm in a bowl, then place the tartare in firmly in the bowl. Keep in the fridge until serving.

To serve the tartare, remove it from the bowl - this is where the cling film comes in handy. Sprinkle it with some sesame seeds and serve with crackers or toasted bread. Enjoy!