Shellfish Free Beef Carpaccio with Arugula and Capers

Total time55 min

Prep time25 min

Cook time0 min

Shellfish Free Beef Carpaccio with Arugula and Capers

Few dishes feel as effortlessly elegant as thinly pounded raw beef tenderloin fanned across a platter, dressed in bright lemon and good olive oil. The technique here — a quick freeze followed by careful slicing and gentle pounding — transforms a single piece of tenderloin into something almost translucent and incredibly tender on the palate. A whisked dressing of lemon juice, lemon zest, and a hint of ground ginger lifts the richness of the beef without overpowering it. Peppery baby arugula piled in the center adds freshness and a little bite, while briny capers and flat-leaf parsley scattered across the top give every forkful a pop of flavor. Because this dish is built entirely around beef, fresh herbs, and pantry staples, there's nothing here to worry about for anyone avoiding shellfish — no hidden seafood-based sauces, no anchovy dressings, no cross-contact concerns that can sneak into restaurant versions of this classic. The key to pulling it off at home is sourcing the freshest, highest-quality tenderloin you can find and keeping it cold right up until plating. It's the kind of starter that looks like it came from a white-tablecloth kitchen but comes together with surprisingly little effort.

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Ingredients

4 servings

For the carpaccio

8 oz beef tenderloin, trimmed of any sinew
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Private Selection Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Bertolli Extra Virgin D'Italiia Olive Oil 16.9oz
Extra Virgin Olive Oil FIELD DAY OLIVE OIL EXTRA VIRGIN Olitalia Extra Virgin Olive Oil
See all
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
¼ tsp fine sea salt, plus more to taste
¼ tsp ground ginger

For serving

2 cups baby arugula
2 tbsp capers, drained and rinsed
2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
1 tbsp fresh chives, thinly sliced (optional)

Instructions

1
Wrap the beef tenderloin tightly in plastic wrap and place it in the freezer for 25–30 minutes, until the exterior is firm to the touch but not frozen solid — this makes slicing and pounding much easier.
2
Remove the beef from the freezer and unwrap it. Using a very sharp knife, slice the tenderloin crosswise into rounds as thin as possible, about 1/8 inch thick.

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