Salmon Crudo

There's no better way to showcase a great piece of fish than to serve it chilled, sliced, and gorgeously garnished, no cooking required. We use salmon, but you can substitute any other fish that's served raw, just pick what looks fresh at the market. We rest the fish overnight in lemon oil, then slice it and serve with tangy horseradish cream and bright lemon curd, plus pretty little pickled beet cones stuffed with salmon roe.

It's the simple dishes, however, that sometimes require the most precision. You'll want to plate this crudo quickly, as temperature and timing are of the utmost importance with raw seafood. The best way to set yourself up for success is to think through the entire process in advance so that everything's good to go at assembly time.

This is a great recipe for cooks who are looking to learn plating techniques, which is why we've included a bunch of assembly tips at ChefSteps.com. While some are specific to this dish, they'll be applicable to all sorts of preparations and will come in super-handy when you're designing composed dishes of your own.