Salmon and Avocado Tartlets

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   Get the ingredients ready. Choose whatever red fish is available or to your taste. I'm using trout this time, but you can use salmon, chum salmon, or pink salmon. Use a soft, creamy cheese — it's the most neutral in flavor, so it will harmonize well with the avocado and set off and complement the taste of the fish itself. Try to choose a soft avocado, which is riper. If you have time, you can buy them in advance, since they ripen well.

2. Step 2:

   

   Wash the avocado, peel off the skin, cut it in half lengthwise, and remove the pit. Mine had an almost white pit but was soft. I thought it would be green and bitter, but it was fine — the taste was normal. It must have just been that variety. If the avocado is very ripe, cut it without peeling, remove the pit, score the flesh into squares, and scoop it out with a teaspoon. Truly ripe ones like that are rarely available, though.

3. Step 3:

   

   Cut the peeled avocado into chunks and put it in a blender. To keep the flesh from darkening, immediately squeeze fresh lemon juice over it — one wide round was enough for me. Blend until broken down into small pieces.

4. Step 4:

   

   Add the soft cheese and blend everything again. At this stage you can add various fresh herbs, but that's optional and up to taste — I prefer the neutral flavor of the cheese spread.

5. Step 5:

   

   The spread should come out smooth like this, with a light pistachio color. Taste it — you may need to add a little salt, and then blend it all again. If you add herbs or pickled cucumber, you'll see small flecks of green, which will also enrich the flavor and add visual appeal.

6. Step 6:

   

   With a sharp knife, cut the lightly salted red fish into very thin slices across the full width of the fish. If you're slicing it ahead of time, cover the fish and store it in the refrigerator.

7. Step 7:

   

   I'm going to serve the fish and avocado in tartlet shells. You can fill them with the cheese spread using a teaspoon or a piping bag.

8. Step 8:

   

   Then garnish with a thin slice of fish: roll it into a ring and spread the "petals" a little to form a little bud. Add a small sprig of herbs. And that's it — a very simple, unpretentious, but eye-pleasing presentation is ready. Since everything comes together quickly, it's best to serve right away so the tartlet shells don't get soggy. There's no need to make this dish ahead — only the sliced fish and the cheese spread.