A part of the fish carcass that is often overlooked during the filleting of a fish is the spine itself. A thrifty cook will notice that there can be a good bit of meat left on the spine when fish fillets are removed. Using a spoon, you can scrap off the meat, chop it coarsely, and use it to make tartar.
Ingredients:
8 oz. wild Pacific sockeye salmon
8 to 12 medium scallops
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice or to taste
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 egg yolk
2 tbsp. vegetable or olive oil
1 tbsp. finely chopped capers
2 tbsp. chopped onions
1 tbsp. finely chopped fresh dill
salt and ground black pepper to taste
2 avocados
1 tbsp. salmon caviar (optional)
Chop salmon and scallops coarsely into about 1/8 inch dice. Set aside
In a medium mixing bowl, combine Dijon mustard, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce and egg yolk and whisk to mix well. Continue whisking while adding oil in a slow steady stream until dressing emulsifies. Add capers and onion and mix well. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
When ready to serve, add salmon, scallops and dill and mix well.
Peel and seed avocados and cut into thin slices lengthwise. Fan avocado slices out on a serving platter. Pack salmon mixture into a bowl that is just big enough to serve as a mould. Invert onto center of platter and remove bowl. Garnish with salmon caviar, if using, and sprigs of dill. Serve with toast points or melba toasts on the side.
Serves 4 to 6 as appetizer.
Note: Alternatively, you can fan half an avocado onto each of 4 plates, and using two spoons, shape a portion of salmon tartare into oval-shaped quenelles and arrange on plate and serve. Originally discovered on the Granville Market site.
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
