Classic Beef Carpaccio with Rocket, Cherry Tomatoes and Mustard-Lemon Sauce
Inspired by techniques from Serious Eats.
Paper-thin rounds of raw beef fillet with a peppery rocket salad, quartered cherry tomatoes and a creamy mustard-lemon sauce drizzled over the top.
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Method
- 1
Chill the fillet hard. Roll the fillet tightly in cling film and freeze for 45-60 min, until the outside is firm but the centre still gives a little. That stiffness is what makes very thin slicing possible.
- 2
Slice across the grain. Using your sharpest thin blade, cut 3 mm slices across the grain. Cutting this way shortens the muscle fibres, so every mouthful is tender.
- 3
Flatten the slices. Sandwich a few slices at a time between baking paper and roll or tap them gently until 1-2 mm thick and nearly translucent. Lay them slightly overlapping so they cover each chilled plate, and return the plates to the fridge.
- 4
Blend the sauce. Put 4 tbsp olive oil, the lemon juice, mustard, egg yolk, a pinch of salt and some pepper into the tall jug. Blitz with the stick blender for 20-30 s; the yolk and mustard emulsify the oil into a thick, pale yellow sauce.
- 5
Dress the rocket. Just before serving, toss the leaves with 1 tbsp oil and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Dressing late keeps them from wilting.
- 6
Plate and serve. Pile the rocket in the centre of each plate and trail the sauce in a circle across the beef. Dot over the tomato quarters, season the meat with the last of the salt and pepper and eat within a few minutes, while the beef is still cold.
Storage
Serve carpaccio as soon as it is plated and discard any leftovers. The sauce keeps for up to 1 day covered in the fridge. Cool leftovers in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours (within 1 hour on a day above 32°C).
Equipment
- cling film
- very sharp thin-bladed knife
- baking paper
- rolling pin or flat meat mallet
- tall jug
- stick blender
- mixing bowl
- 4 chilled plates
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 297 kcal |
| Protein | 18.2 g |
| Carbohydrate | 3.3 g |
| of which sugars | 1.7 g |
| of which free sugars | 0.2 g |
| Fat | 23.6 g |
| of which saturates | 4.7 g |
| Fibre | 1 g |
| Salt | 0.74 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
6.1 g High Protein needs ≥ 10 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
