A quick and easy appetizer with layers of mashed avocado, smoked salmon tartare, and cream cheese with chives. Add a zing with lemon zest and serve it with crunchy tortillas. A perfect start of a meal for an informal or even formal dinner. It's ready in just 15 minutes and you only need 5 ingredients!
Sometimes I know which ingredients I want to use but I don't know how to assemble them to make something new and creative. So, I start looking for inspiration anywhere: TV, cookbooks, magazines.
Nowadays the easiest way is to search online on websites such Pinterest, Instagram, or FoodGawker. You can just type the ingredients and a ton of drooling food pictures come up to inspire creativity and -most of the time- an incredible sudden hunger.
Since all I needed was inspiration, I didn't look for a recipe. I just looked for ingredients pairing with smoked salmon and improvised to create a nice appetizer.
Easy and Quick Appetizer
This smoked salmon avocado tartare is a perfect appetizer for Christmas or New Year's Eve if you're having a fish menu. But it's actually perfect for any kind of dinner - formal or informal.
It's quick and easy and it tastes delicious (of course, you can't go wrong pairing smoked salmon with cream cheese and avocado!). You can use normal drinking glasses - it's nice if you use glass because you can see all the layers. But you can also make them in cocotte or use a pastry ring to make a tower on a plate as I did in this case. Also a very stunning presentation!
The best way to serve Salmon Tartare
Tartare, in general, indicates a dish of raw protein (either red meat or fish) marinated and chopped finely. Usually accompanied by other side ingredients to enhance the flavor.
The most famous is the beef tartare, but I also love fish variations, like Tuna Tartare and Salmon, either fresh or smoked. If you don't feel confident using fresh fish, smoked salmon is the best alternative. It's ready to use and so delicious!
This type of tartare is served in layers with avocado and cream cheese, but you can also serve the 3 ingredients separately on the dish. There are many ways of serving a tartare, but my favorites are either inside a glass or using a pastry ring on a plate to then remove it at the last minute, leaving a nice tower of ingredients.
This recipe can be either used for 2 large portions or 4 small portions. Make some tests with the quantities to find the perfect size of glasses or pastry rings for the servings.
The Recipe
If you like this recipe, try also the Tuna and Lime Tartare. This recipe would pair well with the Limoncello Prosecco Drink.
Smoked Salmon and Avocado Tartare
Ingredients
- 1 Avocado, ripe
- 3.5 oz Smoked Salmon
- 6 tablespoon Cream Cheese
- 1 tablespoon Chives, fresh
- 1 tablespoon Lemon juice
- ½ tablespoon Lemon zest
- Cumin
- Salt
- Black Pepper
Instructions
- First, grate the lemon zest and set it aside. Cut the avocado in half, scoop out the pulp and roughly chop it, toss it in a food processor and immediately add the juice of ½ lemon so it doesn't turn brown.
- Season with salt, black pepper and a pinch of cumin and blend it until it's reduced in small chunks (or if you prefer you can blend it until it's smooth and creamy). Alternatively, you can also mash it with a fork.
- With a spoon or a sac-a-poche, fill the bottom of a glass (or use a pastry ring on a plate) with the mashed avocado.
- Finely chop the chives and mix them with the cream cheese. Add it on top of the avocado.
- Chop the salmon and season it with the lemon zest (to taste) and black pepper. Add it on top of the cream cheese.
- Serve the tartare with grated lemon zest and toasted tortillas or saltine crackers on a side.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
If you like this recipe, you can leave a comment and a star rating to support me. ★★★★★
Thank you so much!
This is absolutely beautiful! I can imagine all sorts of pretty variations, too 🙂
Thank you! Yes, it is really versatile! 🙂