Fuet Tartare with Cheese, Pickles and Egg Yolk

Fuet tartare is one of those ideas that sounds a little unusual at first, but then quickly starts to make a lot of sense. Fuet is a Catalan dry-cured salami, or a thin dry-cured sausage, with a delicate, slightly spicy and pleasantly aged flavour. In this recipe, it is combined with cheese, mini pickles, mustard, chives and egg yolk.

Since fuet is not always easy to find everywhere, this recipe also works without panic if you use a substitute. The best option is a thin dry-cured pork salami with a mild flavour, not too smoky, too fatty or too hard. Fuet should remain the first choice if you can find it, but otherwise take a good dry salami and the whole thing will still be very useful.

This is not a classic tartare, but its playful, more homely and quite fun version. It is excellent for gatherings, festive tables, wine evenings or whenever you want to prepare something small, but still special enough that it is not just sliced meat on a plate.

Savoury snack

Fuet tartare with cheese, mini pickles, mustard and egg yolk is a simple but very effective snack to serve with baguette slices. Salty, slightly spicy, a little creamy and just different enough for guests to remember it.

Prep time about 10 minutes

Difficulty very easy

Yield serves 2 to 4

What is fuet?

Fuet is a Catalan dry-cured salami, or a thin dry-cured pork sausage. It is usually gently seasoned, cured and has a distinctive dry, aromatic flavour. On the outside, it may have a white noble mould coating, similar to some other dry-cured salamis.

If you cannot find fuet, use a thinner dry-cured pork salami with a mild flavour. The most important thing is that it is not too smoky, too fatty or too hard. For a stronger flavour, you can also use a spicier cured sausage, but the result will be much more pronounced and spicy.

Ingredients

• 1 fuet sausage, Catalan dry-cured salami; if you cannot find it, use a thinner dry-cured pork salami with a mild flavour
• 100 g aged cheese, cut into smaller cubes
• 8 small pickles
• 2 teaspoons mustard
• 1 egg yolk
• finely chopped chives
• baguette, for serving

Method

1. Prepare the ingredients

Cut the fuet into smaller pieces so it is easier to process. If you are using another dry-cured salami, cut it into smaller pieces as well. If you wish, you can also cut the cheese and mini pickles into smaller pieces, although this is not necessary if you will process everything in a chopper or blender. Finely chop the chives and save them for the end.

2. Roughly chop the base

Add the fuet, or your chosen dry-cured salami, the cubes of aged cheese, mini pickles and mustard to a blender or chopper. Pulse everything briefly until roughly chopped. The mixture must not become a paste. The goal is for it to stay slightly coarse and textured, so it resembles tartare.

3. Shape the tartare

Transfer the prepared mixture to a plate. Using a serving ring, or simply a spoon, shape it into a neat circle or a small mound. Press it down gently so it holds its shape, then make a small well in the centre for the egg yolk.

4. Add the egg yolk

Carefully place one egg yolk into the prepared well. For the best appearance, add it right at the end just before serving. The egg yolk gives the snack that final touch and adds a more velvety feeling once it is mixed into the tartare.

5. Finish and serve

Sprinkle finely chopped chives over the top. Cut the baguette into thin slices and lightly toast them if desired. Serve the fuet tartare so everyone can spoon a little mixture onto a piece of bread, or prepare assembled bites in advance.

Tip

Texture is very important in this recipe. The mixture should be roughly chopped, not blended smooth. If you overprocess it, it will become more like a spread than a tartare. Use short pulses and check what is happening in the chopper after each pulse.

Because this recipe contains raw egg yolk, use the freshest possible eggs from a trusted source. If you do not want to include raw egg yolk, you can leave it out. The snack will still be very good, just less creamy and less “tartare-like” in appearance.

Shrimp Bruschettas with Yellow Tomatoes, Basil and Parmesan

Shrimp bruschettas are one of those appetizers that make much more of an impression on the table than they demand in the kitchen. Toasted bread, buttery shrimp, garlic, yellow cherry tomatoes, basil, lemon and a little parmesan. Simple, but very effective.

This recipe is a great choice for a festive table, a summer gathering, an evening with a glass of sparkling wine or whenever you want to prepare something small, savoury and fragrant. Shrimp cook very quickly, so it is important to have all the ingredients chopped and ready before you start cooking.

Mediterranean appetizer

Crispy bruschettas with juicy shrimp, yellow cherry tomatoes, garlic, basil, lemon and parmesan. Small bites with a sea-inspired character that you can serve as an appetizer, snack or part of a festive table.

Preparation time about 15 minutes

Cooking time about 10 minutes

Quantity serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

• 600 g shrimp
• 100 g butter
• 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves
• 200 g yellow cherry tomatoes
• 1 handful fresh basil
• 3 tablespoons ground paprika
• juice of 1 lemon
• salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• sourdough bread or another rustic bread
• parmesan for sprinkling

More light ideas for hot days

If you like these shrimp bruschettas, you will probably also enjoy this weekly selection of summer lunches, focused on fresh, quick and light dishes without turning the kitchen into a sauna.

Quick Light Lunches for Hot Days: 7 Summer Recipes for Next Week

Method

1. Preparing the bread

Cut the bread into thicker slices. Drizzle the slices with a little olive oil and toast them in a pan, grill pan or oven until golden and crispy. The bread should be crisp on the outside, but still a little soft inside, so it can hold the topping nicely.

2. Preparing the ingredients

Clean the shrimp if needed and dry them with a paper towel. Peel the garlic and finely chop it. Cut the yellow cherry tomatoes in half or into quarters, depending on their size. Tear or roughly chop the basil just before using it, so it stays fresh and fragrant.

3. Sautéing the garlic and tomatoes

Heat the olive oil in a large pan and add the butter. When the butter melts, add the garlic and sauté it briefly over medium heat, just until fragrant. Then add the yellow cherry tomatoes and cook them for a few minutes, until they soften slightly and release a little juice.

4. Adding the shrimp

Add the shrimp, ground paprika, salt and pepper to the pan. Mix everything well so the shrimp are "dressed" in the buttery tomato sauce. Cook them for only about 2 more minutes, until they turn pink and firm. Do not cook the shrimp for too long, because they quickly become rubbery.

5. Finishing with lemon and basil

When the shrimp are cooked, remove the pan from the heat. Add the lemon juice and fresh basil, then gently mix. The sauce should be buttery, fragrant, slightly sharp from the lemon and juicy enough to moisten the toasted bread nicely.

6. Assembling the bruschettas

Place a few shrimp, tomatoes and a little pan sauce on each slice of toasted bread. Add freshly grated or shaved parmesan on top. Serve the bruschettas immediately, while the bread is still crispy and the topping is warm and juicy.

For days when you want something good, but without long cooking

Bruschettas are a great appetizer or snack, but if you are looking for more ideas for a lighter summer meal, take a look at this collection of recipes without heavy sauces and long standing by the stove.

Light Summer Recipes for Hot Days: 7 Quick Dinner Ideas Without Long Cooking

Tip

If you use frozen shrimp, thaw them completely before cooking and dry them well. If you put wet shrimp into the pan, they will release too much liquid and instead of a juicy topping, you will get a watery sauce. With shrimp, timing really matters: better one minute less than one minute too much.

Bacon-Wrapped Cheese Toast Sticks

Bacon-wrapped cheese toast sticks are one of those ideas where completely basic ingredients turn into something that looks almost too good for so little work. The toast is flattened, filled with cheese, wrapped in bacon and sent into the oven. That is it. A kitchen trick with a very good payoff.

They are excellent for breakfast, a warm afternoon snack, a quick bite or as a savoury addition to the table when guests arrive and you want something crispy, cheesy and satisfying. The bacon gets nicely roasted on the outside, while the toast stays soft inside with melted cheese.

Crispy snack

Bacon-wrapped cheese toast sticks are a quick, crispy and very simple idea for breakfast, brunch or an afternoon snack. A few minutes of preparation, a few minutes of baking and small savoury rolls are on the table, disappearing dangerously fast.

Preparation time about 10 minutes

Baking time 4 to 5 minutes

Quantity serves 2

Ingredients

• 8 slices of toast bread
• 8 slices of smoked bacon
• 8 cheese sticks, about 1 x 1 cm thick and about 0.5 cm shorter than the side of the toast bread

Method

1. Prepare the toast bread

Trim the crusts from the toast bread if you like, although this is not necessary. Then roll each slice well with a rolling pin so it becomes thinner, more flexible and easier to roll. The toast should be thin, but not so thin that it starts tearing.

2. Add the cheese

Place one piece of cheese at the beginning of each flattened slice of toast. The cheese should be cut into a longer stick or a smaller piece, about 1 x 1 cm, so you can wrap it neatly inside the toast.

3. Roll the toast sticks

Roll the toast with the cheese tightly into a small roll. Start at the side where the cheese is placed and roll toward the end of the slice. The tighter the roll, the better it will hold its shape during baking.

4. Wrap with bacon

Wrap each toast roll with one slice of smoked bacon. Wrap the bacon around the roll in a spiral, so it hugs the toast and cheese nicely. Place the end of the bacon underneath when you put the roll on the baking tray, so it does not unwrap during baking.

5. Bake

Arrange the toast sticks on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Bake them in a preheated oven at 190 °C for about 4 to 5 minutes, or until the bacon and toast are nicely golden. For a crispier result, you can place them under the grill function for the last minute, but keep a close eye on them.

6. Serve

Serve the baked toast sticks immediately, while they are still warm and the cheese inside is soft or melted. They are excellent on their own, but you can also serve them with yoghurt sauce, ketchup, herb mayonnaise or a fresh salad.

Tip

If you want to prevent the cheese from leaking out too quickly during baking, use a cheese that melts nicely but does not become too runny. Gouda, Edam, Emmental or toast cheese are all good choices. With very soft cheeses, you will get more of a “lava effect”, which is delicious, but the baking tray will need a little extra love afterwards.

Marinated Mini Mozzarella with Herbs, Garlic and Lemon

Mini mozzarella, olive oil, herbs, garlic and lemon. This is one of those combinations where there is no need to overthink things, because the ingredients already do most of the work. In just a few minutes, you get a simple, fragrant and very useful Mediterranean appetizer that you can serve with bread, cold cuts, salad or as a side to a summer lunch.

The best thing about this recipe is that time does most of the work. The mozzarella absorbs the flavour of the olive oil, herbs, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic and lemon zest beautifully. You get small creamy bites that are fresh, aromatic and just a little spicy.

Mediterranean appetizer

Marinated mini mozzarella with herbs, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, olive oil and lemon zest. A quick recipe for an appetizer, side dish or that small extra on the table that always disappears faster than expected.

Prep time about 10 minutes

Marinating time at least 30 minutes

Serves 4 to 6 people

Ingredients

• 3 packs mini mozzarella, 125 g each
• 200 ml olive oil
• 80 g sun-dried tomatoes in oil
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1 teaspoon chilli flakes
• 8 g fresh parsley
• grated zest of 1 lemon

Method

1. Prepare the mozzarella

Drain the mini mozzarella from its liquid and, if needed, gently pat it dry with a paper towel. It does not need to be completely dry. The important thing is that too much liquid from the packaging does not end up floating in the marinade.

2. Prepare the add-ins

Cut the sun-dried tomatoes into smaller pieces. Peel the garlic and chop it very finely or grate it. Chop the parsley, then wash the lemon well and grate only the yellow part of the zest, avoiding the white bitter part.

3. Make the marinade

In a bowl, mix the olive oil, oregano, thyme, chilli flakes, chopped garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, parsley and lemon zest. Stir everything well so the spices are evenly distributed through the oil.

4. Marinate

Add the drained mini mozzarella and gently mix so that every ball is coated in the aromatic oil. Cover the bowl or transfer everything to a clean jar with a lid. Leave to stand for at least 30 minutes, or even better, for a few hours in the fridge.

5. Serve

Serve the marinated mozzarella slightly chilled or at room temperature. It is excellent with toasted bread, on a salad plate, with prosciutto, olives, roasted vegetables or as a simple addition to a cold platter.

Tip

If you marinate the mozzarella in the fridge, leave it at room temperature for about 15 minutes before serving, so the olive oil loosens up and the flavours open more beautifully. For a milder version, reduce the amount of chilli flakes. For a stronger flavour, add a few drops of lemon juice or a little freshly ground black pepper.

Steak Tartare, Done Right: Clean Flavor, Great Texture, No Fuss

Steak tartare is one of those most-loved starters that always follows the same script: first a raised eyebrow, then silence, then the unmistakable crunch of bread. And honestly, the homemade version just makes sense. It’s often tastier, and most importantly, you know exactly what’s in it.

My base rule is simple: instead of tenderloin, I go for beef round (leg). It’s lean, properly “beefy,” and with the right seasonings it stays tartare, not a soft spread. Buy the meat at a trusted butcher and ask them to trim any sinew/silver skin and double-grind it. The second option (my favorite for texture): finely hand-chop it at home.

Why beef round instead of tenderloin?

Tenderloin is great, sure. But for real-life tartare at home (and honestly most situations), beef round is often the smarter choice:

• it’s easier to source and typically more budget-friendly,

• it’s lean and clean-tasting, so the tartare doesn’t feel greasy,

• you can control the texture better, especially if you hand-chop it.

Steak Tartare with Beef Round

Time: 20 min (+ chill the meat 10–15 min)
Difficulty: easy, if you’re precise
Serves: 4 as a starter (or 2 if it’s “meat day”)

Ingredients

• 400 g beef round (leg), trimmed and very cold (double-ground or hand-chopped)

• 2 egg yolks

• 2 small shallots, finely chopped

• 3 crisp pickles/cornichons, finely chopped

• 1 tbsp capers

• 1 tsp Dijon mustard

• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

• 1 tsp lemon juice (or a little pickle vinegar/brine)

• 3 tbsp olive oil (adjust to taste)

• salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper

• optional: a few drops Tabasco, pinch of smoked paprika

• optional: 1 tsp cognac/whiskey (for a more “restaurant” note)

• optional: a little parsley, finely chopped (go easy)

Method

1. Keep the meat ice-cold. Put it in the freezer for 10–15 minutes so it firms up. This makes cutting easier and helps keep a clean texture.

2. Prep the meat:

   • If ground: use double-ground beef (have the butcher do it).

   • If hand-chopping: slice thinly, cut into strips, then into tiny cubes. You want a fine dice, not a paste.

3. In a bowl, mix the egg yolks, Dijon, Worcestershire, lemon juice, and olive oil. Add a pinch of salt and a generous amount of black pepper. This is your binder and backbone.

4. Stir in the shallots, pickles, and capers. If you’re using pickle brine/vinegar, add it gradually so you don’t “drown” the flavor.

5. Add the beef and mix quickly, just until evenly combined. Don’t overwork it, or you’ll lose texture and it’ll turn soft.

6. Taste and adjust:

   • needs more “kick” → a bit more Worcestershire or a drop of Tabasco

   • needs freshness → a little more lemon (or a tiny splash of brine)

   • tastes flat → more salt + more black pepper (this is usually the fix)

7. Serve immediately. Tartare isn’t a “later” dish. It’s a “now” dish.

How to Serve It (So It Looks Right and Gets Eaten)

No circus needed, just smart plating:

• shape it into a neat mound, or use a ring mold if you want clean edges,

• top with an egg yolk (or a quail egg) and add a small spoon for mixing,

• serve with toast, fried bread, or thin slices of well-toasted bread,

• on the side: a few extra capers and pickles (minimal, just for rhythm).

Tips That Actually Matter

• Fresh + cold is non-negotiable. Keep everything chilled and serve right away.

• Worried about raw egg? Use pasteurized yolks.

• Don’t overload the mix-ins. This is tartare, not a pickle salad spread.

• If it turns watery, you used too much brine or too many pickles. Next time chop and drain them well.

• If it tastes boring, it’s almost always missing salt and pepper. Don’t be shy.

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FAQ

Is it safe?
If the beef is very fresh, handled cleanly, kept cold, and served immediately, this is standard practice. Still, it’s not recommended for pregnant people, immunocompromised individuals, or small children.

Ground or hand-chopped?
Ground is classic. Hand-chopped gives better texture and a more “home premium” feel.

Can I make it ahead?
Best served right away. If you need to prep: chop the add-ins in advance, but mix the beef at the last moment.

Steak tartare is simple, but it doesn’t forgive sloppy handling. Great beef (round), cold temperature, proper seasoning, and balanced add-ins give you a starter that beats a lot of “fancy” versions. And yes… the bread will vanish.