Beef Carpaccio with Wholegrain Mustard Vinaigrette & Shaved Aged Huguenot
There are few platters more elegant than a generous carpaccio starter, using a top quality fillet of venision or beef. Ours uses premium beef fillet from The Grounds Meat & Deli and is topped with a zesty wholegrain mustard dressing, punchy rocket leaves and a generous amount of shaved aged Huguenot cheese from renowned Paarl cheesery, Dalewood Fromage.
We've paired this carpaccio, somewhat unusually, with our organic Higher Purpose Cabernet Franc. Produced at altitude from our Organic vineyards in Elgin, this Cab-Franc is more akin to Loire Cab-Francs than the typical, heavier ‘Bordeaux-influenced’ renditions. Elegant and medium bodied, it's a winner of a pairing for this classic Italian starter.
Ingredients: (serves 6 as a starter)
700-800 g beef fillet from The Grounds Meat & Deli
salt & pepper, to taste
45 ml extra virgin olive oil, for frying
a small bunch rocket leaves
2-3 tablespoons capers
about 1 cup shaved mature hard cheese, like Dalewood’s Huguenot
For the dressing:
60 ml extra virgin olive oil
30 ml wholegrain mustard
30 ml lemon juice
salt & pepper, to taste
Method:
For the carpaccio: Season the fillet generously all over with salt & pepper. Heat a large wide pan over high heat until smoking point, then add the oil and tip from side to side. Sear the fillet on all sides for about 1 minute a side (4-5 minutes in total). Remove from the heat and transfer to a plate to stop the cooking process.
Wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then freeze for 1-1,5 hours or until firm enough to slice neatly (not completely frozen). In the meantime, make the dressing.
For the dressing: In a glass jar, add the olive oil, mustard, lemon juice and season with salt & pepper. Close the lid and shake vigorously. Set aside until ready to serve (shake again right before serving).
To assemble: Remove the fillet from the freezer and remove the wrapping. Carefully slice as thinly as possible into seared rounds (about 5mm thick). Arrange the slices on a sheet of plastic wrap, leaving some space in-between. Cover with another sheet of plastic, then use a rolling pin the carefully roll the slices into very thin slivers. Repeat with all the slices. (At this point, the plastic covered slivers can be refrigerated for a few hours until ready to serve.)
When ready to serve, arrange the slices on a large platter or individual plates. Top with rocket leaves, capers and shaved cheese. Drizzle all over with the dressing, and serve any remaining dressing on the side. Serve immediately.
