Cod Tartare with Herbs
Cod has remained the primary provider of the Russian North for centuries: the Pomors of the Arkhangelsk Governorate respectfully called it simply "the fish," implying that everything else in the sea was merely its variation. It was delivered to merchant homes in central Russia via frozen rivers and winter routes in a flash-frozen or lightly salted state.
The French tradition
Tartare as a form of serving raw or lightly salted products is a nod to the French culinary fashion that swept through restaurant Moscow and St. Petersburg in the 19th century. Prominent French chefs serving wealthy first-guild merchant households combined fine European knife-work with the Slavic love for northern fish and fresh garden herbs.
A merchant superstition
Among merchants, a superstition held that beginning a dinner with "live" northern fish cleared the mind and promised good luck in trade for the entire season.
Cod and fresh herbs
In our version, we preserved the authentic texture of noble cod and complemented it with fresh herbs to capture the atmosphere of an exquisite merchant-style apéritif.