This is a modern classic, first served by Giuseppe Cipriani Harry’s Bar in Venice in the 1950s. It’s the mix of salty, rich, sharp and clean flavours that make it an ideal match to light red wines or even textural whites. Some chefs pound out sirloin steak, others soft-freeze eye fillet and shave it on a meat slicer. We’ve added some easy-to-make sauces – a parmesan crème fraiche and a spring onion gel - that are so good you’ll find ways to use them in other dishes too.
| Servings | 4 |
| Preparation time | 15 mins |
| Cooking time | 20 mins |
INGREDIENTS
- 250g beef eye fillet
- 2 spring onions / green shallots
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons Sherry vinegar
- 3 tablespoons crème fraiche
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
- 1 tablespoon capers, washed and drained
- Vegetable oil to fry
- 2 cloves black garlic, finely sliced crossways
- 1 lemon, unwaxed
- smoked sea salt crystals
- rocket shoots or cress
- Extra virgin olive oil to rub and drizzle
METHOD
- Remove the eye fillet and pat dry. Rub with olive oil and lightly season with salt. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Sear each side of the fillet for a minute or so until lightly browned. Wrap tightly in plastic film and place in the freezer for 45 minutes.
- n the meantime, start making the sauces. For the spring onion gel, chop the white ends of the spring onions and set aside. Chop the green part into small pieces and add to a high-speed blender with 2 tablespoons of the extra virgin olive oil and sherry vinegar. Season with salt and blend until very smooth. Pour into a piping bag fitted with a fine nozzle and refrigerate. Make the parmesan dressing by gently mixing together the crème fraiche, cheese and the remaining extra virgin oil season to taste. Spoon into a separate piping bag with a fine nozzle and refrigerate.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a small saucepan and fry the capers for several minutes or until they puff up. Remove from oil and place on a paper towel.
- To serve, remove the carpaccio from the freezer. Slice thinly and arrange on a serving plate. Dot the parmesan and spring onion dressings evenly around the carpaccio. Place the sliced black garlic and fried capers around the carpaccio. Using a microplane, very finely shave a scant amount of lemon rind over the carpaccio. Drizzle with the remaining extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Sprinkle with rocket shoots or cress.
