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Salmon Crudo with Soy Lime Dressing

Apr 22, 2023 | 0 comments

Delicate slices of buttery salmon, swimming in a flavour-packed soy, sesame and lime dressing is the ultimate no-cook elegant appetizer or light meal. And, it takes just 10 minutes to make.

Salmon crudo on a small green plate with chopsticks and lime on the side.

I’m not sure there’s another recipe that delivers so much with so little effort. It looks delicate and gorgeous, is PACKED with flavour and takes literally 10 minutes with absolutely zero cooking.

Raw salmon is delicate, buttery soft and absolutely delicious and is the perfect vessel for this bold, zingy soy, sesame and lime dressing. It’s also PERFECT for entertaining – you can arrange a big platter for people to help themselves from, or make individual plates.

What is crudo?

‘Crudo’ is actually the Spanish and Italian word for ‘raw’, and that’s where this dish originated. Loosely speaking, it’s a dish of sliced raw fish, dressed with olive oil and some kind of citrus. Crudo isn’t like ceviche – where the citrus ‘cooks’ the fish before serving – and that’s why crudo ideally needs to be dressed and served right away.

Crudo is actually a bit of a loose term, and it means you can really play around with different flavour combinations.

Ingredients

This recipe is packed with bold flavours, and most ingredients are cupboard staples.

Salmon crudo ingredients laid out on a white marble background.
  • Salmon. Because this is a raw fish dish, it’s important to buy the right salmon. Funnily enough, farmed salmon is actually considered safer to eat raw than wild salmon. That’s because farmed salmon have a controlled diet, whereas wild salmon will have a varied diet where they could be exposed to parasites. Basically, you want to look for salmon that’s labelled as being pre-frozen or flash-frozen – this process will kill any parasites that may have been lurking. Some fish might be labelled as ‘sushi grade’ or ‘sashimi grade’, but it turns out this is just marketing jargon and doesn’t mean much. So to be on the safe side, look for farmed salmon that’s been labelled as being flash frozen. You should be able to find this at larger grocery stores, and at fishmongers. If you’re unsure of what to get, ask the staff to help you.
  • The dressing. Olive oil, sesame oil, soy sauce and lime juice form the bulk of the dressing, with finely diced shallots, garlic and ginger bringing freshness. Try to juice the lime yourself, rather than using bottled lime juice. You could swap the shallot for red onion if you like.
  • The toppings. We’re using red chilli, scallions, cilantro and pomegranate seeds to bring a nice contrast of textures and flavours. Pomegranate seeds can be tricky to find, so you can leave those out if you have trouble picking them up. Swap the cilantro for mint or flat-leaf parsley if you don’t like it.

How to make it

Add all the soy lime dressing ingredients to a small bowl, then use a fork and whisk to combine. Slice your salmon VERY thinly (a sharp knife will help!). Gather all your garnishes.

Spoon half of the dressing onto the base of a serving plate, then layer on the salmon pieces. Spoon over the rest of the dressing, then scatter over your garnishes. Serve right away, with a wedge of lime on the side.

Got a question?

Is fish crudo cooked?

No, fish crudo (and this salmon crudo) is a raw dish, where the raw fish is served with a dressing of some kind, usually with olive oil and citrus. ‘Crudo’ is actually the Spanish and Italian word for raw!

Can you eat salmon raw?

Yes, you can, but you need to check that you’re buying the right kind. As a rule, look for farmed salmon that’s been pre or flash-frozen. That’s because farmed salmon have a controlled diet, whereas wild salmon could potentially be eating food containing parasites (and parasites are the worry with raw fish). The freezing process will kill any lingering parasites. Salmon might be labelled as ‘sushi grade’ or ‘sashimi grade’, but that’s actually just marketing jargon so it doesn’t mean much. The best place to go is your local fishmonger, or larger grocery stores that have a fish counter. Ask the staff to help you if you’re not sure.

Can I make this ahead of time?

Crudo is best served right after assembling, but you can prepare the elements in advance. You can slice the salmon the day before you want to serve it, and the dressing can be made 5 days in advance if you like.

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Salmon crudo on a small green plate with chopsticks and lime on the side.

Salmon Crudo with Soy Lime Dressing


  • Author: Kate Alexandra
  • Total Time: 10 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
  • Diet: Low Fat

Description

Delicate slices of buttery salmon, swimming in a flavour-packed soy, sesame and lime dressing is the ultimate no-cook elegant appetizer or light meal. And, it takes just 10 minutes to make.


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 250g/9oz salmon fillets, (ideally flash-frozen, see notes)
  • Zest and juice of 1 lime
  • 1 shallot, finely diced
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 1 teaspoon ginger, grated
  • 1 tablespoon pomegranate seeds
  • 2 scallions
  • 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted

Instructions

  1. Make the dressing. Add lime juice, lime zest, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of sesame oil, and 1 tablespoon of soy sauce to a small bowl. Use a whisk or a fork to mix it together well. Add the diced shallot, grated ginger, crushed garlic clove and 1/2 teaspoon of chilli flakes and stir to combine.
  2. Prepare the garnishes. Finely slice the scallions into long, thin strips and pop them into a glass of cold water. This will make them curl up and create a lovely little garnish for the crudo.
  3. Assemble the crudo. Use a sharp knife to remove the skin from your salmon fillets then cut them into very thin slices. Spoon half the dressing onto a serving plate, then arrange the salmon on top. Spoon the rest of the dressing all over the salmon, then top with the curly scallions, sesame seeds and pomegranate seeds and eat right away.

Notes

INGREDIENT NOTES: It’s important to use high-quality ingredients here because there’s nowhere to hide! This is a raw fish dish so you want to go for good quality, fresh salmon that’s been flash-frozen. Farmed salmon is actually best here – their controlled diet means less risk they’ll have consumed parasites. You should be able to find this at larger grocery stores and fishmongers – ask them for help if you’re unsure. Use fresh limes for the juice, rather than bottled, and good quality, extra virgin olive oil. Skip the pomegranate seeds if you like, they provide a lovely pop of sweet, sour freshness, so I do recommend them if you can find them!

STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS: This is a recipe you want to assemble at the last minute and then eat right away – the longer the lime dressing sits on the salmon, it’ll start lightly curing and cooking it and it will impact the texture. You can mix the dressing 5 days in advance if you like, and then slice the salmon and assemble the crudo when you’re ready.

  • Prep Time: 10
  • Category: starters
  • Method: no cook
  • Cuisine: japanese

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 60g

Keywords: salmon starter, salmon sashimi

Welcome!

I’m Kate, the creator behind Dished. I love creating flavour packed, simple (ish) recipes for you, designed for every day and special occasions.

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