On Saardé's Shared Table: Beef Carpaccio with Anchovy Aioli & Fried Capers from Sagra Restaurant

Good food is best enjoyed with loved ones. Each week we’ll be sharing with you beautiful simple recipes perfect for sharing. Sourced from our old & new friends, favourite restaurants, and most loved authors.

This week’s recipe is from Sagra – a soulful Italian restaurant in the heart of Sydney specialising in traditional dishes perfect for casual and occasional dining. 

In Italian a “sagra” is a celebration of a single ingredient at its peak; often held in the Italian school gymnasium, townsfolk are invited to pay a small fee to grab a paper plate and taste the cooking of a local family that focuses on whatever produce is in abundance at that time. It’s a celebration of food, community and culture and that’s the essence of what the Sagra chefs convey and what we love so much here at Saardé.

This week’s recipe – Beef Carpaccio with Anchovy Aioli & Fried Capers is a perfect representation of what Sagra stands for. 

 

Serves: 6

Preparation time: 1 hour

250g good quality beef fillet

40g brined capers

1 stalk celery (thinly sliced)

Bunch of chives (thinly chopped)

1 egg yolk

2 anchovy fillets

150g rice bran oil

Zest of half a lemon (finely grated)

5g Dijon mustard

Half garlic clove (crushed)

15ml good quality red wine vinegar

High quality extra virgin olive oil

1. Wrap beef tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for half an hour - this will make the meat firm and easier to slice thinly. Unwrap the beef and thinly slice with a sharp knife.

2. Place the slices of beef between sheets of plastic wrap and use a rolling pin to thin the meat further. Place in the fridge until ready to serve.

3. Meanwhile make Anchovy Aioli by adding egg yolk, anchovy, Dijon mustard, vinegar and lemon zest into a food processor. Turn on the food processor and slowly drizzle in rice bran oil until all ingredients are completely emulsified. Season with salt and pepper.

 4. Rinse and dry capers, then fry in a neutral oil till crispy.

 5. Smear a thin layer of anchovy aioli on a serving plate.

 6. Lay beef slices over the aioli. Place celery, capers and chives on beef. Season with salt and pepper and a generous drizzle of olive oil.