Salmon Tartare with Fruit Salsa

Once a week, certain streets in residential Paris transforms into a farmer's market with the best produce coming from all over France. Luckily,I live in a part of Paris (Rue Saint Michel, 15eme) where the markets come twice a week on Tuesday and Friday. But more talk and photos about the Market some other time.

Ever since I tried salmon tartare near the Pompidou I just couldn't stop thinking about it. It was made very simple, just raw salmon diced up and served with mangoes, balsamic vinaigrette and olive oil. So i decided to come up with my own version. All fresh ingredients I used came form the Farmer's Market.



Salmon Tartare

1. Mango and Percimon Salsa
1 Slice Mango
1/2 Percimon
1/3 Medium White Onion
1/4 cup Sweet White Wine (for this recipe, i used a Muscat Beaumes de Venise, 2007)
2 tbsp butter
Japanese Chili Powder
Salt

2. Salmon
1 Salmon Belly, with skin on (optional)
1 tbsp Lime juice
Corriander/Cilantro

3. Reduced Balsamic Vinegar
1/2 cup Balsamic Vinegar

Since we have to serve the salmon tartare chilled, let us begin with the Mango and Percimon Salsa to give time for it to cool down. Begin by finely chopping some onions and sautee them in butter until soft, no color! When the onions have started to soften, add the sweet white wine and let cook until almost all the liquid had evaporated, about 7 minutes then add in the finely diced fruit. Try to look for a consistency that will hold its shape. Add in the Japanese Chili Powder and transfer onto plate and cover with cling film to cool in the refrigerator.

For the balsamic reduction, put some balsamic vinegar into a pot over medium low heat or just enough for it to lightly simmer. Keep on the same heat until the vinegar is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and tastes sweet without any hint of vinegar, about 7-10 minutes depending on the heat and size of pan. Do not overcook. The reduction turns into burnt syrup really fast so keep a close watch. Just a word of advise, do this in a well ventilated area or with the exhaust fan turned on as fumes from the vinegar can irritate your throat.

As for the Salmon Tartare itself, always make sure to only use fresh sashimi grade Salmon. If you cannot find a good quality salmon, just make sure that it has been properly handled. Frozen Salmon can do the job just as good but thaw properly in the refrigerator over night. I like to rinse my fish under cold running water just to make sure there are no dirt or bacteria. Begin by scaling the fish with a fish scaler or with the back of your knife, then separate the skin from the meat of the fish carefully with a flexible fillet knife trying to have as little meat on the skin as possible. Again, search this up on youtube if your not sure on how to do this step. Trim the salmon off any darkened meat from the blood and debone. Cutting across the grain of the fish, make sashimi like slices, then into strips, then into cubes. This is called a brunoise.



Store in refrigerator until ready to use. If using the salmon skin, lightly salt the skin and pan fry in olive oil over high heat until crispy. Trim and set aside.

Assembly

Mix the chopped up salmon with cilantro, and only add the lime juice when you are about to plate and serve. Remember that the lime juice will cook the meat liek a ceviche.

On a food mold, fill up 1/4 with the cooled down mango and percimon salsa and top with the Salmon Tartare mix. You can always add more or less of either ingredient depending on your taste. You can be creative and put a slice of fruit on top of the tartare or simply drizzle some of the reduced balsamic vinaigrette on top and serve the trimmed crispy skin on the side. Be creative and serve with thinly sliced fruits.

I like this dish because the sweetness of all the fruits, wine and reduced balsamic go very well together with the freshness of the salmon mixed with the acidity of the lime, complimented by the crisp and salty skin.

Beef Tartare

As surprisingly as this may sound, finely chopped up raw beef mixed with minced onions, capers, parsley, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon Mustard, Ketchup, Olive oil and 1 Egg Yolk can make an amazing meal. Best served with a side of fries and salad, this dish has become a staple in cafe's, brasseries and restaurants all over Paris.

I made this dish with a slice of Fillet Mignon bought from a butcher a few meters from my apartment. And if you are planning to make this yourself, be sure to use meat from a butcher you can trust. If you don't have a butcher, I suggest you buy meat from a source that is reputable and clean.


To prepare the beef, slice it into thin strips then into small cubes and chop up roughly. I have tried fancier restaurants where they serve beef tartare in small cubes and this does look more appetizing. The french counterparts serve their tartare ground up like a raw burger patty. It may not look as appetizing but is sure tastes just as good. And remember that chopped up meat spoils the fastest since more surface area is exposed to air and bacteria. Always work in a bowl over ice and keep your meat cold!

And for the other ingredients, the quantities all depend on how you want your tartare to taste. I added more Tabasco sauce since i like mine a bit spicier. I also added some mayonnaise to make it creamier and richer in texture. However you want it, be sure to enjoy while doing it and remember that good hygiene while preparing this dish is very important!

Life In Paris

The City of Lights, as most of you may know it, is a city filled with endless surprises. From historic bridges to magnificent palaces, to high fashion and gastronomic indulgences, this city has something for everyone.But what exactly makes this city so special from any other city?

A few Reasons why I love Paris



First, Paris as the City of Lights. Unlike other highly populated, first world consumerist countries such as New York and Japan, Paris by night is lit not by glaring billboards, neon lights and LCD screens but rather by old lamp posts and spot lights that give detail and attention to the art found all over the city. Ever seen the Louvre at night? And this is what i love most about Paris. There are lights coming from just about anywhere and everything in the city. The revolving lights at the Eiffel guiding you home, the Christmas lights along Champs-Elysees, the lamp posts lighting your cobbled pathway home, and that orange hue that gives Paris it's picturesque scene.



Second, Paris as the Food Capital of the World. Although I know that good food can be found at just about anywhere in the world, no one can deny the influence of classical french techniques. Almost every culture has adopted the French was one way or another. Foie Gras anyone? In fact, the term french cuisine is often seen as something that is complicated, expensive and extremely satisfying. And why wouldn't it be? French Chefs really do go the extra mile and often times ridiculously overboard in serving up the perfect dish. French has turned food into a form of art.

The picture above is beef bourguignon which took over a day to make, 24 hours in marinade and 2 1/2 hours in the oven. We also had to clean, chop, sear and strain the beef and aromatic garnish. And at the end of it all, we threw away all the vegetables that went into the oven since they were too soft to be served. We had to prepare separately mushrooms, pork lardons, glazed onions, turned potatoes and pan fried bread to be served with the beef bourguignon. Compare this with the American one pot cook and serve counterpart!