Ciperine's smoked eel tartar

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 1 smoked eel, filleted, net 300 g
• 4 gherkins
• 3 balls of pickled beetroot from the jar
• 2 spring onions
• 30 g pine nuts
• 1 tbsp sherry vinegar
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• salt and pepper
• e.g. chili powder
• ½ cucumber(s) for garnishing

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Rest time approx. 1 hour; Total time approx. 1 hour 30 minutes

festive starter or small snack

Finely dice the eel, gherkins, and beetroot. Slice the spring onions into thin rings. Roast the pine nuts whole without fat until golden brown, but do not allow them to become too brown. Whisk the ingredients for the dressing together well and mix with the remaining ingredients. Leave everything to marinate in the refrigerator. To serve, finely slice the cucumber, arrange it in a ring on plates, and place the tartare in the middle. I use my small appetizer rings for this. Toast goes well with it. This dish can also be served as finger food on appetizer spoons. Place a slice of cucumber on each spoon, top with a dollop of tartare using a teaspoon, and garnish with half a slice of gherkin. The amounts of vinegar and oil are only guidelines; I use a rough estimate based on taste.