Everything You Need To Know About: Carpaccio

If you’ve never made carpaccio, you may think it’s complicated and fussy to make. But it’s actually so simple and so delicious. It’s thin slices of raw meat, fish, or vegetables served simply with olive oil, citrus, and sometimes toppings like rocket and parmesan. Originally from Venice, this timeless dish looks stunning with fresh and simple flavours.

What Is Carpaccio? 

Carpaccio is very thinly sliced raw beef or fish, traditionally dressed with olive oil, lemon juice, and seasonings. It was invented in 1950 at Harry’s Bar in Venice by Giuseppe Cipriani for a guest under a doctor’s orders to consume raw meat. He named it after painter Vittore Carpaccio, whose art echoed the red-and-white tones of the dish.

Over time, ‘carpaccio’ has evolved to include raw tuna, salmon, venison, and even vegetarian versions like beetroot or zucchini, where the core elements remain: ultra‑thin slices, with light seasoning, and that specific presentation.

What Sets Carpaccio Apart

• Ultra-thin slicing: thinly slicing meat or pounding between parchment for uniform thickness.
• Minimal seasoning using lemon, olive oil, salt, pepper, and fine additions like capers or Parmesan.
• Elegant presentation laid flat on a plate in overlapping circles, garnished with herbs or greens

Is carpaccio raw?

Yes, it’s typically raw beef sliced paper-thin with a few seasonings and toppings. It’s now sometimes made with raw fish or vegetables even, as people apply it to thinly sliced dishes. 

What is the difference between carpaccio and tartare?

Both are raw dishes, it’s true, but carpaccio (from Italy) is sliced really thinly, almost paper-thin, whereas tartare (from France) is finely chopped, almost minced.

Top Tips for Making Carpaccio

Best Choices

• Beef tenderloin or sirloin are a classic choice. Choose well-marbled, fresh, butcher-grade cuts.
• For fish carpaccio, sushi-grade fish like tuna or salmon works best.

Safety & Storage Tips

• Ideally, buy the best quality meat you can afford and check with your butcher what they think about serving it raw. They will know best.
• Carpaccio should be prepared and served promptly as raw meat shouldn’t sit around for long.
• Think about who you are serving because some groups (pregnant women or babies, for example) should potentially avoid raw meat/fish. 

Traditional Beef Carpaccio Recipe

Ingredients (serves 2)

• 200–300g premium beef (sirloin or tenderloin)
• 2 tbsp extra‑virgin olive oil
• Juice of ½ lemon
• Sea salt & black pepper
• Parmesan shavings, capers, and baby arugula (rocket), to serve

Method

1. Place the beef in the freezer for about an hour for easier slicing. Use a very sharp knife or butcher’s slicer to cut paper-thin slices. 
2. Lay the beef on a board and cover with clingfilm or parchment paper. Then use a meat mallet or rolling pin to bash the beef out until it’s paper thin.
3. Arrange slices overlapping on chilled plates.
4. Just before serving, drizzle olive oil, lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper.
5. Garnish with Parmesan, rocket (arugula), and capers.
6. Serve immediately, while fresh and cold.

Variations to Try

Fish & Vegetable Alternatives

• Tuna or Salmon Carpaccio with toppings like yuzu, radish, avocado, and chilli oil.
• Vegetable Carpaccio: thinly sliced zucchini, beetroot or asparagus, dressed similarly with optional nuts, herbs, or citrus zest.

Fusion & Sauce Twists

• Mix egg yolk, mustard, olive oil, lemon, and Worcestershire into a mayo-style drizzle.
• Add sun-dried tomato, pine nuts and olives for more flavour.
• Drizzle with soy sauce and sesame oil for an Asian twist.

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