I can remember exactly the overwhelming excitement that I felt the first time I tasted this Salmon Tartare.
It was my first new year in Lisbon. My cousin had made a reservation in Segundo Muelle, a famous Peruvian restaurant chain that now has a new restaurant in Lisbon.
The kind of celebration that I enjoy: TONS of delicious food. We ate like if there was no tomorrow. Ceviches entreés, tiraditos in yellow ají sauce, sushi, fry ceviche and multiple pisco sours.
Then my eyes saw this beautiful salmon tartare on the menu and it was love at first sight. This lovely dish is made of a layer of avocado — Latino American people were obsessed with this before it was mainstream— encapsulated between two layers of marinated fresh salmon. That’s all I needed to know to make me order it.
It’s surprising that you only need toasts with balsamic glaze to make this tartare an out-of-this-world experience.
As every recipe that has caught my attention in the past, I dedicate to recreate the recipe with my personal touch. An the result is this delightful salmon tartare Peruvian style.
Quoting Will “ it was exactly like the restaurant”. I have to disagree… IT WAS BETTER because I can make as much tartare as I want.
The key is to get fresh salmon. To remove the skin of the salmon, make sure to use a sharp knife. Clean it and dry it before using it. Facing the salmon skin down, place your non-dominant hand on top. With your dominant hand grab the knife and start cutting as close to the skin as you can. Do not force the cutting, let the blade follow the curse of the skin.
Another key to the perfect tartare is the size of the pieces. The right size is around 1 cm. This size allows the lime juice to cook properly the fish.
The secret for any classic Peruvian ceviche or any fish-based preparation is to not let the lime juice cook for more than 15 minutes. This is a common mistake of a reinterpretation of ceviche. Many restaurants leave the fish marinate for long hours, even overnight. The fish meat is extremely delicate. More than 15 minutes turns the fish dry and chewy.

Salmon tartare Peruvian Style
Ingredients
- 300 gr salmon boneless and skinless
- ½ avocado
- 4 cherry tomatoes chopped.
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp mustard
- 2 limes juice
- 1 tsp coriander finely chopped
- Salt and white pepper
Instructions
- Cut the skinless salmon into small cubes. (note 1)
- Prepare the marinate mixing the soy sauce, the worcestershire sauce, the mustard, the lime juice and the olive oil.
- Pour the mix into the salmon. Add the coriander, the tomatoes, a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir and let it rest for 10 minutes.
- Serve with the help of a round small vessel (you can use a glass). Put a layer of the marinated salmon, then a layer of chopped avocado and finally one of salmon. (note 2)
- Garnish with fresh coriander. Serve along with small toasts with a bit of balsamic glass.
Notes
- Cut the salmon in pieces of 1 cm (about half an inch, or even smaller). If you cut too small pieces these will mince, and if the pieces are too big they will not get “cooked” by the lime.
- Try to squish the excess juice to help the tartare be more compact.
I’m Maria and I love cooking—and mostly EATING—food from all around the world. I’ve been sharing my abuela’s secret Latin-American recipes for the last 7 years with the world on this blog. I’ve been a full-time food blogger for many years and I’m always trying new delicious meals that don’t require a culinary degree or a Michelin-star chef. I also love traveling, cats, and knitting.
Now that’s a Tartare I would like! It looks great! Thanks for bringing it to the party 🙂 Happy Fiesta!
Happy Fiesta 🙂 This was my first link party hahhaha Thanks a lot for stopping by.
I’ve never made ceviche, but I would love to try your recipe one day. The Peruvians know their food alright! Thank you for sharing it at Fiesta Friday, María !
Thank you! Peruvian food is so simple and tasty (my favorite south american food)
Welcome to Fiesta Friday! I haven’t tried Peruvian salmon tartare but I looove…Peruvian grilled chicken with the green sauce! ?
Thank you! Peruvian food is completely delicious definitely <3