Equipment
Ingredients
Fish and Produce
- 200 g sushi-grade wild salmon, skinless, pin bones removed
- 1 avocado, firm but ripe
- 1 english cucumber, unpeeled, washed
Marinade
- 15 ml soy sauce
- 5 ml toasted sesame oil
- 5 ml unseasoned rice vinegar
- 5 g fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
- 10 g scallion, finely sliced
- 3 g black sesame seeds, toasted
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
Using a very sharp chef's knife, slice the fresh wild salmon into neat 5 millimeter cubes. Maintain strict hygiene and keep the fish chilled below 4 degrees Celsius or 40 degrees Fahrenheit while working.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, unseasoned rice vinegar, finely grated fresh ginger, sliced scallion, and black sesame seeds.
Add the diced salmon to the marinade. Gently toss to coat the fish evenly, cover the bowl, and refrigerate for exactly 10 minutes to lightly cure the salmon without breaking down its delicate texture.
While the salmon marinates, halve, pit, and peel the avocado. Dice the flesh into 5 millimeter cubes on a clean cutting board, matching the size of the salmon as closely as possible.
Cut the English cucumber into 5 millimeter thick rounds. Arrange these rounds flat on your chilled serving platter.
Remove the marinated salmon from the refrigerator. Gently fold the diced avocado into the mixture, taking care not to crush or mash the delicate avocado pieces.
Spoon a generous tablespoon of the salmon and avocado mixture onto each cucumber round. Serve immediately to ensure maximum freshness and the perfect textural contrast between the crisp cucumber and buttery salmon.
Chef's Notes
- Sourcing the fish: Always communicate to your fishmonger that you intend to eat the salmon raw. Look for terms like sushi-grade or sashimi-grade, which typically indicates the fish was flash-frozen at sea to eliminate parasites.
- Temperature control: The secret to pristine raw preparations is working cold. Chill your mixing bowl and serving platter in the refrigerator for twenty minutes before assembling.
- Balancing the bite: If your avocado is exceptionally buttery and your salmon is very fatty, consider adding an extra splash of rice vinegar to cut through the richness and elevate the final flavor profile.
Storage
Refrigerator: 2 hours — Must be kept tightly covered and thoroughly chilled. Quality degrades rapidly due to raw fish and avocado oxidation.
