Ingredients :

• Smoked salmon (or sashimi-grade raw salmon) — Smoked salmon is easier to find and more forgiving regarding quality. For raw salmon, you absolutely must visit a trusted fishmonger and specify that it’s to be eaten raw. The taste difference is real — raw is more delicate, smoked is more intense. The choice is yours depending on the occasion.
• Ripe but firm avocado — This is the most important point of the recipe. An avocado that is too hard will have an unpleasant texture. An avocado that is too soft will squash at the slightest contact with a spoon and turn your tartare into guacamole. The skin should yield slightly under the thumb, not sink in. Also check under the stem: if it’s green underneath, it’s good.
• Shallot — No onion here. The shallot is milder, finer, and provides aroma without being aggressive. Finely chopped — almost transparent — it disappears into the tartare, but you feel its presence. If you really only have red onion, use half the quantity and rinse it quickly with cold water.
• Fresh lemon juice — Freshly squeezed, not bottled. The difference is striking in a raw dish where every flavor is exposed. The lemon does two things here: it provides the acidity that balances the fat of the salmon and avocado, and it slightly slows down the oxidation of the avocado. Add it last, just before serving.