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One of the finest sights in a southern Italian fish market is a whole tuna fish being deftly portioned by a fish monger wielding the sharpest of cleavers, singing and shouting to come and buy their magnificent catch. You can be sure it is spanking fresh, and it is perfect for making carpaccio—the Italian equivalent of sashimi. Chilling or lightly freezing it makes it firm enough to slice very thinly. As soon as the slices hit plates at room temperature, they become meltingly soft.
250-gram/9-ounce piece of sashimi-grade tuna
125 gram/1 cup rocket/arugula
freshly shaved Parmesan cheese
freshly squeezed juice of 3 lemons (or about 9 tablespoons Tuscanini Lemon Juice)
150 milliliters/2/3 cup Tuscanini Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 clove garlic, finely chopped or 1 cube Gefen Frozen Garlic
1 tablespoon salted capers, such as Tuscanini, rinsed and chopped
a pinch of dried chilli flakes/hot red pepper flakes
freshly ground black pepper
Trim the tuna of any membrane or gristle. Wrap tightly in clingfilm/plastic wrap and freeze for about one hour until just frozen but not rock solid.
Meanwhile, to make the dressing, put the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, capers, chilli flakes and salt and pepper in a bowl, and whisk until emulsified.
Unwrap the tuna and slice it thinly with a sharp, thin-bladed knife. If this proves difficult, an easier way is to cut slices from the tuna and lay them between two sheets of clingfilm.
Bat out gently with a rolling pin, taking care not to make holes in the tuna.
Finish off by gently rolling the tuna out to the desired thickness – this will remove any ridges left by batting it out.
Arrange the slices so they completely cover four large dinner plates. Spoon the dressing over the top. Add a tangle of rocket and sprinkle with Parmesan shavings, then serve.
From The Italian Kitchen: More than 85 Delicious Recipes, from Antipasti to Zabaglione by Maxine Clark, published by Ryland Peters & Small. Photograph by Martin Brigdale © Ryland Peters & Small.
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