The Original Carpaccio Cipriani

While raw beef salad served as an appetizer has long been a part of the Italian cuisine, its name made headlines sometime in the 1950s. The Carpaccio Cipriani was a recipe of Giuseppe Cipriani, the man who named it after the Venetian painter Vittore Carpaccio. The appetizer was a signature dish served at Harry’s Bar in Venice owned by Mr. Cipriani. Now his son, Arrigo Cipriani, himself a chef, has taken on the Cipriani family tradition and demonstrates their recipe.

Get the best quality beef you can find since it’s the core of the dish. For easier handling, the chef suggests freezing the meat first in the freezer for an hour or so until it firms up. Doing so speeds up the slicing since the delicious meat is firm already. The meat is sliced paper thin, as if it was prosciutto, so that its drapes and folds look more attractive on the plate. It also helps in the eating of this raw appetizer.

To douse on top of the beef slices, a combination of creamy mayonnaise is spiced up with mustard and Worcestershire. It’s a perfect mix of creamy, tangy and spicy which complements the beef. The chef uses homemade mayonnaise for a creamier and richer sauce which is incomparable with the commercial variety.

Make your own mayonnaise by combining in a blender or food processor the following: egg, lemon juice and mustard. Blend until smooth. Then over low speed, stream the olive oil until the mixture emulsifies and thickens. Season with some salt and pepper. Mix with the other ingredients in the carpaccio sauce as usual.

To serve, mix the carpaccio with a plate of mesclun greens, most notable the spicy and refreshing arugula with olive oil dressing. The nutty and bitter flavor of the arugula balances the raw meatiness of the cold beef. Serve this appetizer chilled and pair with a glass of Chianti rouge.

Ingredients

3/4 lbs. beef fillet

3.5 oz. mayonnaise

1 teaspoon mustard

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/3 cup milk

1/2 lb. arugula or mesclun (chervil, arugula, leafy lettuces, and endive in equal proportions) salad

cold-pressed olive oil

1 celery branch

1.8 oz. parmesan cheese

1. Slice the raw beef filets very thinly. Arrange on a plate forming a concentric circle. Chill in the fridge.

2. Prepare the dressing. In a bowl, mix the mayonnaise, mustard, and milk until creamy in consistency. Season with the Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper.

3. Bring out the chilled beef slices then drizzle with a generous amount of the freshly mixed sauce.

4. To serve, arrange a bed of mesclun greens, including arugula. Sprinkle with thin slices of celery and shavings of parmesan. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and the carpaccio sauce. Serve with the carpaccio.

Duck Carpaccio

Traditionally, a Carpaccio recipe is made with thinly sliced raw beef and served with olive oil or a mustard dressing.  It became popular among the dining aficionados in restaurants and hotels.  Through the years various types of carpaccio has transformed and evolved. It has been made and experimented with including fish, fruits, seafood and now, duck. Basil, walnuts, hazelnuts and also pine nuts maybe used for dressing a duck carpaccio for a truly flavorful and stimulating appetizer.

In making this duck carpaccio recipe, the duck meat must be sliced very thinly which is actually the essence of carpaccio. To achieve thin slices of duck meat, a meat slicer or a slice machine is used.  However, if you don’t have one, a very sharp and long knife may be used to make a thinly sliced duck meat possible. It is not easy to slice the duck meat very thinly. To be able to do this, the duck breast with the fat on, is wrapped in cling film and kept in the freezer. Once frozen, it easier to cut it in very thin slices and when eaten, it melts lusciously in the mouth.

Duck capriccio is dressed with pistou sauce made with basil, walnuts, hazelnuts gradually to emulsify the sauce for a more rough and rustic final product. A food processor maybe used for a smoother consistency and an even finish. Pistou sauce is the French version for the Italian pesto sauce. Parmesan and pine nuts and classic pesto sauce are added besides the usual basil and olive oil. For more texture and complex flavors, hazelnuts and walnuts are added. Mortar and pestle maybe used to incorporate all the ingredients and make a paste. Olive oil is added must be Gently pulse the ingredients when using a food processor to retain a bit of texture of this recipe.

Ingredients

For the pistou (sauce):

1.76 oz. (about 3 ½ tablespoons) basil

2 teaspoons walnuts

2 teaspoons hazelnuts

2 teaspoons pine nuts

salt, pepper

1/4 cup olive oil

For the presentation:

1 duck breast, sliced (about 1 pound)

1 mixed salad bouquet

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

basil leaf

1. In preparing the pistou, chop the basil, walnuts, hazelnuts, and pine nuts. Then pulse in food processor seasoning with salt and pepper. To obtain a thick paste, progressively add olive oil.

2. After wrapping the duck breast with plastic film, freeze it until hard. Cut into thin slices with a slicing machine or a long sharp knife.

3. Cover 4 serving dishes with the pistou sauce using a paintbrush,. Then place the duck slices on each of them, until the entire plate is covered. Salt and pepper then cover lightly with pistou. Repeat this process a second time.

4. Use olive oil and balsamic vinegar in seasoning the salad.

5. In the middle of the dish, lay a small bouquet of salad. Decorate with a basil leaf.