This is a novel way of eating Italian carpaccio, which would also be fantastic served as canapés!
Not familiar with an Italian carpaccio? It’s a dish of raw meat or fish sliced as thin as possible and served with some kind of sauce. It’s typically beef, but it could also be something like salmon, tuna, swordfish or any other type of fish that can stand up to the delicate slicing process.
Fun Fact: Giuseppe Cipriani from Harry’s Bar in Venice created the Italian carpaccio in 1950, and it became widespread during the second half of the twentieth century.
It is important to get a really good color on the beef so that it almost forms a crust on the outside – this gives the dish its wonderful contrast of textures. They would also be delicious with slices of avocado, shavings of Parmesan and roasted walnuts added.
Style Seared Beef Rolls with Lemon Aioli Recipe
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
For the beef rolls:
- 500g beef fillet, well trimmed
- 2 garlic cloves, sliced
- 1 tsp roughly cracked black peppercorns
- 2 thyme thyme sprigs, broken up
- 2 beetroots, peeled and julienned (on a mandolin is best)
- 1 bunch English radishes, julienned (on a mandolin is best)
- 100g fresh watercress sprigs
For the lemon aioli:
- 1 egg, at room temperature
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 tsp white wine vinegar
- pinch of caster sugar
- finely grated rind of ½ lemon
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 100ml (3 1/2fl oz) olive oil
- 100ml (3 1/2fl oz) sunflower oil
- Sea salt and freshly ground white pepper
- Creamed horseradish, to serve
Instructions:
Rub the beef all over with the olive oil and place in a shallow non-metallic dish with the garlic, cracked peppercorns and thyme. Rub all over the meat and cover with clingfilm. Marinate for at least an hour at room temperature or overnight is best in the fridge.
To make the lemon aioli, break the egg into the food processor and add the garlic, half a teaspoon of salt and the vinegar, sugar, lemon rind, mustard and half of the olive oil. Secure the lid and whizz for 10 seconds.
Leave to stand for a couple of seconds, then turn on again and pour the remaining olive oil and rapeseed oil through the feeder tube in a thin steady stream. This should take 25-30 seconds. Switch off the machine, take off the lid, scrape down the sides, and whizz again for 2-3 seconds, then season to taste. Transfer to a bowl, then cover and chill until needed.
When ready to cook, if using a charcoal barbecue, light it 30 minutes before you want to start cooking. If using a gas barbecue, light it 10 minutes beforehand. Alternatively, use a griddle or frying pan. Brush the excess marinate off the beef and cook over hot coals for 5 minutes, turning frequently until the outside is well browned, then transfer to a platter and leave to rest for up to 30 minutes.
Slice the beef as thinly as possible and arrange on a serving platter. Invite guests to smear a slice of beef with a little of the creamed horseradish. Add small piles of the beetroot, radish and watercress, then roll up and dip into individual bowls of the lemon aioli.
Emily Sprinkle, also known as Emma Loggins, is a designer, marketer, blogger, and speaker. She is the Editor-In-Chief for Women's Business Daily where she pulls from her experience as the CEO and Director of Strategy for Excite Creative Studios, where she specializes in web development, UI/UX design, social media marketing, and overall strategy for her clients.
Emily has also written for CNN, Autotrader, The Guardian, and is also the Editor-In-Chief for the geek lifestyle site FanBolt.com