Salmon Tartare with Red Onion Crème Fraîche on Focaccia

Sushi and Sashimi. Until I came across this recipe, I had naïvely assumed that those were the only ways to eat raw fish. Thankfully, Thomas Keller (or his cookbook at least) introduced me to the wonders of salmon tartare. Unlike its Japanese counterparts, tartare involves seasoning minced fish with acids and salt. It’s much like eating a thousand tiny morsels of salmon, each bursting with flavour before slowly melting in your mouth. The salmon tartare is paired with a creamy red onion crème fraîche. While the original recipe calls for serving the salmon and cream in cornets, using freshly baked focaccia works wonderfully too, and makes for a more filling dish. I've included my modified recipe below, but the original recipe, complete with a video demonstration can be found here.

Rosemary Focaccia
(adapted from The Best Recipe by the editors of Cook’s Illustrated magazine)

Crisp and salty on the outside, warm and fluffy on the inside. Eaten alone, dipped in olive oil, or served with salmon, focaccia is my favourite bread, and the only bread I know how to make. This recipe makes two 10-inch rounds and should be started at least three hours before serving.

- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup warm water (110F to 120F)
- 1 ½ tsps rapid-rise yeast
- 1 9oz baking potato, peeled and coarsely diced.
- 2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil, plus more for oiling bowl and pan
- 1 ½ tsps kosher salt

Topping
- 2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tsps kosher salt
- 2 tbsps fresh rosemary leaves

In a small bowl combine ½ cup flour, ½ cup water and yeast. Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let rise for 20 minutes or until bubbly.

Fill a small saucepan with water and boil potato until tender. Drain and put through a ricer or food mill.

In a large bowl combine 3 cups flour, ½ cup water, mashed potato, olive oil, salt and yeast mixture. Mix until coarsely combined. Knead dough by hand for 15 minutes or knead using an electric mixer with dough hook attachment for 5 minutes. The dough should be smooth and elastic.

Transfer dough into a lightly oiled bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm, draft-free area for 1 hour or until it doubles in volume.

Divide dough into two 6-inch rounds. Place each round onto a lightly oiled baking sheet. Cover dough with a lightly oiled piece of plastic wrap and let rise for 45 to 60 minutes or until it doubles in volume.

Remove plastic wrap and use your fingers to make dimples in the dough at regular intervals. Drizzle dough with olive oil, season with salt and sprinkle evenly with rosemary leaves. Bake in the middle rack of a 425F oven for 20 to 23 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a rack for several minutes before serving.

To reheat, bake for 10 to 15 minutes in a 325F oven.

Salmon Tartare
(adapted from The French Laundry Cookbook by Thomas Keller)

For best results, choose a very fresh fillet of salmon near the belly where it has the most fat.

- 4 oz fresh Atlantic salmon
- 1 ½ tsps finely minced shallots
- 1 ½ tsps finely minced chives
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 tsp lemon oil or lemon juice
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- pinch of white pepper

Remove skin from salmon and mince until very fine. Do not use a food processor as it will damage the salmon’s delicate texture.

In a small bowl, combine and mix the ingredients. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate tartare for at least 30 minutes, or up to 12 hours.

Red Onion Crème Fraîche
(adapted from The French Laundry Cookbook by Thomas Keller)

Crème fraîche can often be found in the dairy section of fine food stores. Heavy cream whipped to soft peaks and sour cream make good substitutes.

- ½ cup crème fraîche
- 1 tbsp finely chopped red onion
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- pinch of white pepper

In a small bowl, whip crème fraîche until it forms soft peaks.

Place red onions in a strainer and briefly rinse with cold water. Dry with paper towels.

Fold red onions, salt and pepper into crème fraîche and season to taste with additional salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to serve, or up to 6 hours.

Assembly
Place slices of warm or lightly toasted focaccia on their sides. Spoon a dollop of red onion crème fraîche and 1 or 2 teaspoons of salmon tartare on each slice and serve immediately.

Makes about 20 servings.

Comments

[barrett]

Sorry about the multi-ping...

I made this recipe this weekend, substituting scallions for chives and it was a big hit, even with one person who just doesn't eat raw fish.

The potato in the focaccia made the loaf perfectly fluffy. I was disappointed when my finger-dimples deflated a very nice looking loaf before baking, but was delighted when the loaf puffed back up in the oven. Great recipe.

[Clement]

Glad to hear the recipes turned out well. It's definitely a great way to start a meal, especially when the focaccia's still warm and fluffy.

Thanks for linking to my post, I really appreciate it!

[Grace]

Can somebody tell me where I can order blast frozen salmon belly here in the US? Thank you.