“Carpaccio” is one of those culinary terms, like “bisque” or “escabache,” that can have either a very narrow or a very general meaning. Strictly speaking, carpaccio is an Italian dish: a plate covered with raw beef that has been thinly sliced and pounded even thinner. A classic carpaccio is usually dressed with olive oil, lemon juice and shaved parmesan and served with breadsticks.
But carpaccio has also been used to describe thinly sliced raw fish, or thinly sliced raw vegetables. Or vegetables that have been cooked and then sliced paper thin. Or meat that has been barely cooked — what chefs call “seared rare,” then sliced thin. At Potager, the signature Zucchini Carpaccio is actually an Italian-inspired marinated zucchini salad that has been shredded rather than sliced, then tossed with olive oil, lemon juice, mint and almonds.
Whatever form carpaccio takes, it’s usually a light, elegant dish. My recipe for halibut carpaccio is inspired by two things: the Alaskan halibut season, which runs from March 15 to Nov. 15, and the seafood carpaccios that were pioneered by the late Gilbert Le Coze at New York’s Le Bernardin in the early 1980s, later perfected by his successor, Eric Ripert.
The last time I ate at Le Bernardin, I had a superb fluke carpaccio: thinly sliced, dressed with olive oil, chives and lemon juice, then framed with two blanched garlic chives, it looked like a page from an Art Nouveau picture book.
I like to nap the halibut in a vinaigrette made with tangerine juice and yuzu juice. Yuzu juice, which is imported from Japan, has the sweet aroma of a tangerine and the bracing tartness of a Persian lime. Mellowed with tangerine juice and a little olive oil, it’s the perfect complement to raw fish, which demands a good amount of acidity.
Halibut carpaccio takes a good amount of precision knife work, but the good thing about it is that it can made in advance, refrigerated, then dressed at the last minute.
John Broening cooks at Duo restaurant, .
Halibut Carpaccio with Tangerine Dressing
Serves 6.
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds fresh Alaskan halibut
Olive oil
Tangerine Dressing (recipe follows)
3 tablespoons finely diced red onion
3 tablespoons minced chives
2 teaspoon minced jalapeños
Malden salt
Freshly ground pepper
Crackers or toasted bread
Directions
Place the halibut in the freezer until firm but not frozen, about 40 minutes.
With a sharp knife, slice the halibut into about 18 pieces. Divide the pieces among 6 dinner plates. Cover each plate with plastic wrap. With the smooth end of a meat mallet, gently pound the fish pieces until they are slightly thinner and cover the plate. Chill.
When ready to serve, remove the plastic wrap, drizzle a little olive oil over each plate of generously coat with the Tangerine Dressing. Top with red onion, chives and jalapeños. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Serve with crackers or toasted bread.
Tangerine Dressing
Makes about 1 cup.
Ingredients
1/2 cup tangerine juice (such as Odwalla)
1/4 cup yuzu juice (a Japanese citrus fruit)
2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon minced ginger
Directions
In a large bowl, whisk together all ingredients. Refrigerate until ready for use.
