Mandel-Tatar (almond tartare)
Units
Temperature
Servings
Ingredients
Tartare
- 200 g raw almonds, finely chopped rounded
- 60 g shallot, finely chopped rounded
- 30 g capers, chopped rounded
- 20 g gherkins, finely chopped rounded
- 15 g fresh parsley rounded
- 30 ml olive oil rounded
- 15 ml lemon juice rounded
- 10 g Dijon mustard rounded
- to taste fine salt rounded
- to taste freshly ground black pepper rounded
Method
Method
- Chop the almonds by hand with a large knife, working the pile repeatedly until finely and evenly chopped, about 3 to 4 minutes. It should stay grainy, not become a paste.
- Combine the chopped almonds, shallot, capers, gherkins and parsley in a bowl.
- Whisk the olive oil, lemon juice and mustard together. Pour over the almond mixture and stir to combine.
- Season with salt and pepper. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving to let the flavours meld.
Notes
- Chop the almonds by hand, don’t blend them. A food processor turns almonds to a fine meal almost instantly, losing the distinct, meaty bite that a hand chop preserves; that texture is the whole point of calling this a tartare.
- Mix the seasoning through by hand, not in a machine. Hand mixing keeps the texture varied, with some pieces more coated than others, closer to a real tartare than a uniform paste.
- Let it rest for 10 minutes before serving. This short rest lets the acidity and seasoning soften the raw shallot’s sharpness slightly.
- It keeps for 2 days in the fridge, though it’s best served the day it’s made, while the almonds are still crisp.
Ingredient substitutions
- Capers and gherkins are classic tartare additions; adjust the quantities to taste.
- A dash of Worcestershire-style vegan sauce deepens the savoury flavour if you have it.
- Serve with toasted bread or crackers, the traditional way to eat a tartare.