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July 2020 | REDONLINE.CO.UKLevantine
salmon tartare
with pickled
fennel and
labneh
You’ll need to make the labneh in
advance, but if you’re short of time,
you could just use 4tbsp of thick yogurt
or ready-made labneh instead.
PREPARATION TIME 35 minutes,
plus draining and chilling
SERVES 6 as a starterOExtra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
OSumac, small mint leaves and
pomegranate seeds, to garnish
FOR THE LABNEH
O125g yogurt
O1 small garlic clove, finely chopped
OGenerous pinch saltFOR THE PICKLED FENNEL
O250ml cider vinegar
O50g caster sugar
O1tsp each fennel and yellow
mustard seeds
O5 black peppercorns
O1 fennel bulb, finely shaved
O1 small red onion, very thinly sliced
FOR THE TARTARE
O500g very fresh salmon fillet,
skinned and pin-boned
O50g bulgur wheat, soaked
in hot water for 5min
O4 spring onions, thinly sliced
O1tsp ground allspice
O1tsp cumin seeds, toasted
and lightly crushed
O1 small red chilli, deseeded
and finely chopped
O2tbsp extra virgin olive oil1 For labneh, mix together yogurt,
garlic and salt. Line a bowl with
a large square of muslin and spoon
in yogurt. Gather corners of muslin
and knot together, then tie to a rack
in your fridge, putting the bowl
underneath to catch any drips.
Leave to drain overnight.
2 For pickled fennel, combine vinegar
and sugar in a small non-reactive
saucepan and stir over low heat until
sugar dissolves. Stir through spices,
then leave to cool. Add fennel and
onion, pour into a glass bowl or jar
and chill for 2hr or overnight.
3 Make tartare on the day you want
to serve it. Use a large sharp knife to
finely chop fish – it may be worth
putting it in the freezer for half an
hour beforehand to make this easier.
In a bowl, combine salmon with
the well-drained bulgur wheat and
remaining ingredients. Season to taste
with sea salt and black pepper, then
cover and refrigerate until chilled.
4 Divide salmon tartare into 6 equal
portions. Put a pastry ring on a serving
plate and spoon a portion of tartare
into it, then remove ring. Repeat with
rest of tartare. Top with pickled fennel
and a spoonful of labneh, then drizzle
with olive oil. Finish with a scattering of
sumac, mint leaves and pomegranate
seeds. Serve at once.