Description
An elegant chilled Italian-inspired dish featuring paper-thin marinated beef topped with a creamy tuna, anchovy, caper, and herb sauce. Fresh lemon and peppery arugula keep the rich, savory flavors bright and refreshing.
Ingredients
500 g beef tenderloin, rump steak, or top round, trimmed
Freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil
1 lemon
250 g white tuna in oil or tuna rillette
50 g capers, drained
6 anchovy fillets
10 basil leaves or flat-leaf parsley leaves
125 g mayonnaise
125 g fromage blanc
1 handful arugula
Instructions
- Wrap the trimmed beef tightly in plastic wrap, shaping it into a neat cylinder if necessary for evenly sized slices.
- Place the wrapped beef in the freezer for about 1 hour, until firm enough to slice thinly but not completely frozen.
- Remove the plastic wrap and use a very sharp knife to cut the beef into paper-thin slices. Arrange the slices on serving plates, overlapping them slightly.
- Drizzle the beef with lemon juice and olive oil, then season generously with freshly ground black pepper. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to marinate.
- Wash and thoroughly dry the basil or flat-leaf parsley, then finely chop the leaves.
- Place the tuna, half of the drained capers, anchovy fillets, chopped herbs, mayonnaise, fromage blanc, and remaining lemon juice in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth and creamy, adding a small splash of water if needed to adjust the consistency.
- Spoon the creamy tuna sauce over the marinated beef slices.
- Finish with the remaining capers, fresh arugula, a drizzle of olive oil, and freshly ground black pepper.
- Refrigerate the assembled dish for about 1 hour before serving. Serve thoroughly chilled.
Notes
Beef tenderloin gives the most tender result, while rump steak or top round are economical alternatives.
For a richer sauce, replace the fromage blanc with additional mayonnaise or a little heavy cream. For a lighter, tangier sauce, substitute Greek yogurt.
Basil, flat-leaf parsley, or a combination of both can be used.
Add finely grated lemon zest for extra brightness or additional capers for a stronger briny flavor.
Baby salad leaves can replace arugula for a milder flavor.
Store leftovers properly chilled in an airtight container for 1 to 2 days. If possible, store the beef and tuna sauce separately.
Do not reheat; this dish is intended to be served chilled.
Because the beef is served raw or very rare, use fresh, high-quality beef suitable for raw preparation from a trusted source and maintain careful refrigeration throughout preparation and storage.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 760 mg
- Fat: 24 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 17 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 3 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
