Beef carpaccio with arugula and parmesan — a classic Italian appetizer

Carpaccio is one of the most elegant appetizers of Italian cuisine: thin slices of fresh meat served uncooked with olive oil, lemon and herbs. As Wikipedia notes, the dish was created in Venice in the 1950s and is named after the painter Vittore Carpaccio, whose works its red hues recall. The classic version with beef, arugula and parmesan remains the most beloved to this day.

Ingredients (for 4 servings)

• 400 g fresh beef (fillet piece)
• 100 g fresh arugula
• 60 g parmesan, cut into thin slices
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon capers
• 8–10 black olives, pitted
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation steps

1. Wrap the beef in kitchen paper and place in the freezer for about 2 hours — slightly frozen, it slices much more easily into thin slices.
2. Remove the meat from the freezer and cut with a sharp knife into slices as thin as possible, almost like paper.
3. Arrange the slices on a large serving plate, without overlapping them too much.
4. In a small bowl mix the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and black pepper.
5. Pour the sauce evenly over the meat slices.
6. Place the fresh arugula, parmesan slices, capers and black olives on top.
7. Serve immediately, optionally with toasted bread. No cooking — ready in about 20 minutes.