Salmon Crudo – Cook Republic

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December 5, 2025

Salmon Crudo is the quintessential summer appetiser, a bright, fresh, raw-fish dish made with sashimi-grade salmon, pickled shallots and a citrus dressing bursting with orange and lemon. It takes 20 minutes to make and adds a wow factor to your gatherings and parties!

Salmon Crudo served on a plate - slices of sashimi grade raw salmon topped with a lemon olive oil dressing, onion, cxapers and dill.

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🇮🇹 What is Crudo?

Crudo is Italian for “raw” and typically refers to a cold appetiser dish made from sashimi-grade, thin slices of raw fish or seafood dressed with citrus, olive oil, and seasonings. It is quick and easy to put together and has that wow factor for entertaining.

🍋 Why you’ll love this Salmon Crudo?

Takes only 20 minutes to prepare.
Made with everyday, easily accessible ingredients.
It is fresh, flavourful and a lovely palate cleanser at the start of a meal.
Looks elevated and beautiful, perfect for dinner parties and entertaining.

🐟 Ingredients

Salmon – Buy the freshest sashimi-grade, boneless salmon fillet from your fishmonger on the day of preparation and serving. Chill salmon fillet in the freezer for 40-60 minutes before prep, to ensure easy cutting and clean slices.

Citrus – A combination of lemon and orange makes for a wonderful citrus dressing that balances sour and sweet notes. You can use just lemon if you prefer.

French Shallots – These are the small pink shallots with a mild onion taste that are great pickled and added to salads. You can substitute with red onion.

Olive Oil – Use a cold-pressed olive oil with a deep green colour and robust taste.

Garlic, salt and pepper.

🔪 How to make Salmon Crudo?

Place sliced French shallots in a glass bowl. Add vinegar, salt and pepper to pickle them until they are a deep pink colour.

Place sliced French shallots in a glass bowl.
Add vinegar, salt and pepper to pickle them until they are a deep pink colour, approximately 10 minutes. Rinse and drain.

Add lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic and olive oil to a bowl. Mix the marinade, strain through a sieve and set aside.

3. Add lemon and orange zest, lemon juice, garlic and olive oil to a bowl.

4. Mix the marinade, strain through a sieve and set aside.

Season the marinade. Cut the chilled slab of salmon into thin 1/2cm slices.

5. Season the marinade.

6. Using a sharp knife, cut the chilled slab of salmon into 1/2 cm-thick slices, wiping the blade between slices.

Assemble salmon slices on a shallow, rimmed serving plate. Top with pickled shallot and capers. Drizzle dressing, garnish with dill and serve immediately.

7. Assemble salmon slices on a shallow, rimmed serving plate.

8. Top with pickled shallot and capers. Drizzle dressing, garnish with dill and serve immediately.

Salmon Crudo served in a flat serving platter with a fork resting on the side.

🍽️Serving Suggestions

This Salmon Crudo is best served with plain crackers or a delicious Focaccia bread.

This dish cannot be prepped ahead or stored in the fridge or freezer. For health reasons, it must be prepped and consumed while it is still fresh.

❤️ More Crudo And Ceviche Recipes

Recipe

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Place the salmon fillet in the freezer for 20 minutes to firm up.
To make the pickled shallots, add French shallots, vinegar, salt and pepper to a bowl. Mix gently and setaside for 10 minutes. Rinse and drain.
To make the crudo dressing, add olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, lemon and orange zest, salt and pepper to a small bowl and mix well. Allow to steep for 20 minutes to develop the flavours. Strain using a sieve and discard the solids.
Remove salmon from the freezer and cut into 1/2cm thick slices using a sharp knife, wiping the blade between slices.
Arrange salmon slices on a large serving plate. Top with shallots, capers and dill. Drizzle the crudo dressing evenly. Serve with thinly sliced baguette.

Crudo Dressing – This can be prepared up to a week in advance and stored in the fridge. Salmon – Ensure that your salmon fillet is sashimi-grade, boneless, skinless and freshly sourced on the day of serving. Chill in the freezer for 40-60 minutes to ensure easy, clean slices. French shallot – These are small, pink, and resemble an onion. They have a sweeter, milder taste and are great for instant pickling or adding raw to dishes. You can substitute with red onion. Serving & Storage – The salmon crudo must be prepped and served fresh on the day. As this is a raw fish dish, freshness is of the utmost importance for health reasons.