Carpaccio of Beef is a dish originating in Venice and named after the 15th-century artist Vittore Carpaccio. Vittore Carpaccio is best known for his paintings depicting the legend of Saint Ursula a little known virgin saint murdered in Cologne circa. 383 AD. Carpaccio used intense and deep reds with white contrasts in his paintings, similar to the red and white marbling of fresh sirloin beef when sliced thin and laid out on a serving plate.
The dish Carpaccio was invented around 1950 and named by Giuseppe Cipriani the founder of the very Italian sounding ‘Harry’s Bar’ in Venice. Carpaccio today is used to describe pretty much everything sliced thin and presented on a plate from Tomato, Zucchini and Melanzane to Beef, fish and yes Salmon.
Carpaccio of salmon can be made in two ways, either freezing and then slicing the meat or fish super thin using a very sharp meat slicer, or placing the sliced flesh between two sheets of baking paper and banging it to a millimetre thickness using a heavy object.
Carpaccio of Salmon
Ingredients:
- Super fresh Salmon x 1 kg
- Quality olive oil
- Freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice + zest x 1 fruit
- Coarse Atlantic sea salt
- Coarsely ground Black Pepper
- Sprig of Dill for decoration
Method:
For freezing and slicing with a meat slicer, buy a super fresh piece of Salmon with bones and skin removed from your local fishmonger. Clean it in a bowl of iced water and pat dry both sides with a paper towel. Roll into a tight tube and wrap with cling wrap, place in freezer overnight or until completely frozen.
Remove, let it defrost for 30 to 40 minutes then slice 1mm slices and arrange on baking paper with the size of the plate marked on the other side of the paper. Return to the freezer until required.
When serving simply place face down on plate and remove paper. It will start defrosting immediately, drizzle some olive oil, lemon or lime juice, sprinkle a little zest, a sprinkle of coarse salt and pepper and a sprig of decoration and it is ready to eat in minutes.
If you don’t have a meat slicer simply slice thin fresh pieces placed between two pieces of baking paper and bang with a heavyish object until 1mm thin, place in freezer for a few minutes then upturn onto serving plate, season and garnish as above.
Simple, tasty, fresh and visually attractive. If you put dishes like this out at your dinner parties you will likely become the talk of the town.
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