Carpaccio di Capriolo with Herbs, Ginger, Lemon and Parmesan Crust
I forgot about this recipe completely, unfortunately, as it was divine! This isn't one of my own creations, it was made for me and my family by my cousin Thomas, a very talented young chef. It was definitely too good not to share on eat in my kitchen, so here's Thomas' Carpaccio di Capriolo, prepared and savoured by all of us in my mother's kitchen, we were thrilled!
A few months ago, in late autumn, I wrote about a special weekend at my mother's house in the countryside. My family met to eat, drink, chat and savour, as usual, but this time we had a whole deer to prepare. We got the animal from a farmer close by, he's a hunter but he also keeps deer on his vast land. My cousin Thomas who is experienced in butchering gave us more than a helping hand, he prepared the single cuts and parts to be frozen and used some for our extensive cooking. My mother cooked a heavenly stew for us and later on Thomas prepared two dishes himself, Pâté en Croûte, venison pâté in pastry crust, and one of the best carpaccio's I tasted in my whole life. He used the delicate deer's back which he had just cut, it was exceptionally good. If it's hard for you to find quality venison, especially at this time of the year, you could also prepare this recipe with beef fillet. I definitely recommend you to buy it from your trusted butcher or directly from a farmer as the meat has to be very fresh.
And here's the secret to Thomas' carpaccio: My cousin chef coated the meat in an aromatic crust of finely chopped fresh rosemary, sage and thyme mixed with ginger, lemon zest and aged Parmesan. The thin crust was far from being overpowering, just right to add its quality to the fine flavours of the meat.
I was so busy feasting this weekend that I didn't take many pictures of all the ongoing preparations in my mother's kitchen so I decided to share some of the amazingly beautiful fungi we found on our long walks in the forest. Not to be eaten but so beautiful!
Carpaccio di Capriolo with Herbs, Ginger, Lemon and Parmesan Crust
It works best to cut the carpaccio very thinly with an electric food slicer.
For 4 people you need
fresh venison fillet (or beef fillet) 300g / 10.5 ounces
mixed fresh herbs (rosemary, sage, thyme), finely chopped, 2 tablespoons
aged Parmesan, finely grated, 1 tablespoon
ginger, finely grated, 1 teaspoon
lemon zest 1 teaspoon
ground black pepper
rucola and tomato slices to serve
Mix the herbs, Parmesan, ginger and zest on a large plate and roll the meat in the mixture until evenly coated. Carefully wrap the fillet in cling film and close it like a bonbon wrapper. Keep in the freezer for at least 4 hours before you cut it very thinly with an electric food slicer. Arrange the slices on plates with the rucola and tomato and sprinkle with a little pepper, serve immediately. You could also drizzle some lemon oil over the carpaccio.
Beetroot Carpaccio with fresh Coconut and Coriander
Sometimes I must have a coconut in my kitchen, not because I'm so crazy about the taste, more because I love the whole ceremony of opening them. First I punch 3 holes into the top to pour out the coconut water (which I like a lot) and then I hammer it open. It really makes you feel like you have to work for your food, which is a rare experience in our culture. I don't know how often I hit my thumb and swore I would never do it again, but I can't help it, here I am again with a big hard nut on my kitchen floor, fighting for my food.
As soon as the white meat is peeled out of the shell I keep it in a bowl of water as it dries out really quickly. It's quite a nice snack to nibble on but for today's lunch I had different plans, I had a beetroot carpaccio in mind, sprinkled with crunchy coconut slices and fresh coriander. I used the coconut's water for the dressing and whisked it with olive oil, orange juice and some of Arnold's Maltese Orange Blossom honey (I still have a little bit left and treat it like a treasure!). The earthy beetroot can take the combination with strong flavours and this one is quite exotic, if you're up for something more simple, try the combination with apples and pomegranate!
Beetroot Carpaccio with fresh Coconut and Coriander
For 2 you need
small beetroots 4
bay leaf 1
fresh coconut 1/4
fresh coriander leaves, a small bunch
coconut water 1 tablespoon (from the coconut)
olive oil 2 tablespoons
freshly squeezed orange juice 2 tablespoons
quality honey (liquid) 1/4 teaspoon (if it's frim, warm it up in a pan)
salt and pepper
Cook the beetroots with the bay leaf in salted water for about 45 minutes, rinse with cold water and let them cool.
Carefully punch (or drill) 3 holes into the top of the coconut (I use a clean screwdriver and a hammer) and pour the water into a glass, crack the hard skin of the coconut and peel out the white meat. Cut about 1/4 of the coconut into very thin slices.
For the dressing, whisk the coconut water, olive oil, orange juice and honey and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Peel the beetroots, cut them into thin round slices (with a cheese or vegetable slicer) and arrange them on plates. Sprinkle with the coconut slices, the dressing and coriander.
Beetroot and Apple Carpaccio with Pomegranate
A quick carpaccio in bright red with cooked beetroot, apple and pomegranate to welcome a special guest! My mother will be at my home (and in my kitchen) over the next few days. I'm sure we'll be out a lot but I really hope we'll find some time to cook together which I enjoy a lot!
I'm a big fan of vegetable carpaccio. It allows you to combine different flavours in a very pure, quick to make and beautiful way. All you have to do is slice a vegetable or fruit very thinly, arrange it and top with a simple dressing. My red carpaccio is based on the strong, earthy-sweet taste of cooked beetroot which combines perfectly with the sweetness of the apple and pomegranate. I cooked the roots in a bigger batch - as I do every week - in salty water with two bay leaves for 50 minutes (depending on their size they might need shorter but mine were big). For my carpaccio for 2 I need 1 root cut thinly with a slicer, 1 sweet apple prepared in the same way and the seeds of 1/3 of a pomegranate. I drizzle my current favourite lunchtime dressing on top, 3 tablespoons of olive oil mixed with 2 tablespoons of white Balasamico and season it with salt and pepper. It's a great lunch, as pretty as it is tasty!
Fennel Carpaccio with Caper and Lemon
Two days left in 2013 - an easy and comfy lunch is in order to lean and look back on the past months. I feel like a quick carpaccio with fennel, caper and lemon, fresh and light, the right foundation for an honest review of an exciting and inspiring year - and the start of eat in my kitchen!
My mother told me about this vegetarian carpaccio which she enjoyed at a restaurant in Italy, so much that it became part of her - and my - recipe collection. Sometimes she is so excited by her food discoveries that she calls me immediately after she ate to tell me about her find. She knows that I love fennel and caper - a perfect match together with lemon and olive oil. I can get good quality fennel all year round therefore I cook with it quite often. As much as I love this carpaccio as a quick lunch because it's so easy to prepare, it makes a beautiful, light starter as well.
As a starter for 4, cut 1 fennel bulb in very thin slices and arrange them on plates. Add 6-10 capers on each plate, mine are salted so I have to rinse them first. Drizzle some olive oil and fresh lemon juice on top and season with salt and pepper. It only takes a couple minutes.
