A fresh and bright tartare for the new year

Party food can be healthy, too. In fact, during the festive season, it’s important to have a few recipes up our sleeves that are fancy enough to be invited to a holiday party while balancing the season’s excess. While “tartare” generally refers to finely chopped meat (often beef) that is served raw, this recipe is all about smoked salmon, which is brined and cured in salt before being smoked at a low temperature. Its finished texture is soft, supple and smooth, which makes for a luxurious winter canape.

Salmon tartare is a perfect multitasking appetizer: It’s fresh, salty and bright with citrus. It’s also rich in protein, B vitamins and calcium, and it’s low-fat to boot. To serve, dress it up and serve on brioche toasts, or keep it more casual and spread on crostini. In this recipe, it’s dolloped on whole-grain cocktail rounds for a slightly heartier texture. It’s also wonderfully versatile: Assemble the tartare up to one day in advance and serve any leftovers on breakfast toast or spooned over greens for a light lunch.

When preparing the tartare, finely chop the salmon and onion in similar minced size. I prefer to do this by hand with a knife rather than use a food processor, which can create a pasty texture if overprocessed. Taste as you go, and don’t skimp on the herbs. Each mouthful should be fresh, juicy and bright. And if you are celebrating, go ahead and pour some bubbles — it’s the party season, after all.

Smoked Salmon Tartare Canapes

Makes about 1¼ cups or 10 to 12 canapes

INGREDIENTS

10 ounces smoked salmon, finely chopped

1/4 cup finely chopped red onion

2 tablespoons Greek yogurt or sour cream

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 to 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill

2 to 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives

Whole-grain cocktail rounds

Freshly ground black pepper

Dill sprigs for garnish

Lemon wedges and slices for garnish

DIRECTIONS

Finely dice the smoked salmon and transfer to a bowl. Fold in the onion, yogurt and lemon juice. Add the dill and chives and gently stir to combine; feel free to add more herbs to your taste. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.

To serve, mound heaping tablespoons of the tartare on whole-grain cocktail rounds (or crostini or mini brioche toasts). Generously season with freshly ground black pepper. Serve garnished with additional dill and lemon, if desired.

Lynda Balslev is a San Francisco Bay Area cookbook author, food and travel writer and recipe developer.