Israeli Ceviche aka Choppd Salad with Raw Salmon

Amarante

Sun, Oct 06 2019, 8:18 am

This was very refreshing and easy to make since it can all be prepped beforehand and then assembled.

Israeli Ceviche

Excerpt From: Einat Admony. “Shuk

Chopped Salad with Raw Salmon on a Bed of Labneh

As far as most Israelis are concerned, “ceviche” is another name for a chopped salad, but one with chunks of raw fish in it. Labneh (yogurt cheese) takes this fresh and super-easy dish farther away from its ancestral home in South America into the Levant and adds a layer of tart creaminess.”

1 pound (455 g) best-quality fresh skinless salmon fillet, cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) chunks, nice and cold
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 ripe but firm tomatoes (about 1 pound/455 g), cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) chunks
2 Persian or 1 large regular cucumber, cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) chunks (peeled if the skin is thick or waxed)
1 Fresno or other medium-hot fresh red chile, cored, seeded, and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
3 tablespoons thinly sliced scallions
1½ cups (360 ml) labneh, store-bought or homemade
Ground sumac, for garnish (optional)

Right before serving, put the fish in a large bowl and toss with the lemon juice and salt. Add the oil, tomatoes, cucumber, chile, cilantro, mint, and scallions. Mix everything together gently. Taste and add more salt if you like.

Using a large spoon, spread a nice swoosh of the labneh on individual plates or a large serving platter. Top with the ceviche and give it a light sprinkle of sumac (if using). Serve at once.

VARIATIONS

If you can’t find sweet and delicious larger tomatoes, use halved cherry tomatoes (using different colors will make the salad look more vibrant).

Instead of salmon, use another very fresh fish, such as bass, snapper, tuna, fluke, or mackerel.

For more creamy goodness—or to make the salad vegetarian—use cubes of ripe but firm avocado in addition to or instead of the fish.