Carpaccio di salmone affumicato (Smoked Salmon Carpaccio)
Originally Published by Frank 27 December 2020antipasti, Veneto37 Comments
Here’s an elegant yet quick and easy starter that would fit perfectly into just about any menu: Carpaccio di salmone affumicato, or Smoked Salmon Carpaccio.
Classic carpaccio, of course, is made with thinly sliced beef. But the term carpaccio has evolved into a kind of passepartout for any number of dishes featuring thin slices of meat or fish, typically dressed with a light vinaigrette and perhaps some aromatic herbs. In this incarnation, thin slices of smoked salmon are dressed simply with an emulsion of oil and lemon, to which I like to add just a pinch of finely minced parsley. If you like, you can gussy up your carpaccio with all sorts of garnishes: a few capers, shaved fennel, arugula, even pomegranate seeds. Whatever strikes your fancy, really.
Smoked Salmon Carpaccio is simple itself to make, but it makes quite the impression, so it’s apt for a special occasion. To me, it’s an ideal way to begin a cenone di san Silvestro, or New Year’s Eve dinner on a simple but elegant note. That means less time in the kitchen, and more time sipping champagne and enjoying the evening with your loved ones. I call that a win-win.
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Ingredients
Serves 4-6
- 500g (1 lb) smoked salmon, thinly sliced
For the dressing:
- Freshly squeezed juice of 1/2 small lemon
- A few leaves of fresh parsley, finely minced
- Salt and pepper
- 1 dl (1 cup) olive oil
For garnish (optional):
- Capers
- Shavings of fresh fennel
- Thinly sliced red onion
- Arugula
- Avocado wedges
- Pomegranate seeds
Directions
Arrange thin slices of smoked salmon on a plate (if you like, over a bed of tender greens as pictured).
Then, whisk together all the dressing ingredients together until you have a smooth emulsion. Spoon this over the salmon slices.
Allow the salmon to macerate for just 5 minutes or so before serving, topped with one more garnishes if you like. Some crusty bread to go with is always welcome.
Notes on Smoked Salmon Carpaccio
As we’ve pointed out on this blog, the original carpaccio, as invented by Giuseppe Cipriani for his renowned Venice bar, was made with sliced beef fillets, pounded paper-thin then dressed with a creamy mayonnaise-based sauce. The charm of using smoked salmon, of course, is that you can buy it pre-sliced, which eliminates an awful lot of work. And the resulting contrast of orange and green, while not true to Carpaccio’s style of contrasting reds and whites, is lovely to behold all the same.
The choice of smoked salmon is up to you, but I particularly like Nova Scotia, the kind used for lox and bagels, as it’s only lightly smoked. For a more decisive smokiness, you could opt for Scottish smoked salmon. Personally, I find sockeye salmon’s darker color and fishier flavor less appealing as a carpaccio, but if you like it don’t let me stop you.
And obviously, you want to best quality olive oil you can manage to find, although I would opt for a lighter one, perhaps one from Liguria. Those very fruity and green olive oils, as wonderful as they are, could overwhelm the flavor of the fish.
And speaking of which, go light on the lemon juice. You want just enough to brighten the olive oil but no more. Since lemons vary in size and acidity, you may want to start with a few drops and add more to dressing until you’re pleased with the results. Also true for the salt. It may come as a surprise that you’d need any, but a small pinch, just enough to enhance the other flavors without drawing attention to itself, is what you want.
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Variations
As mentioned above, the basic recipe for Smoked Salmon Carpaccio lends itself to a huge variety of garnishes. I’m partial to either laying my carpaccio on a bed of tender greens or else topping it with arugula leaves, which pairs particularly nicely with smoked salmon, I think. But the list given in the ingredients list is really just examples. Let your imagination run wild!
Besides its usual role as a starter, Smoked Salmon Carpaccio can double as a light pescatarian main course as well.
Making Ahead
You can plate the salmon well ahead, cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate until you’re almost ready to serve. The dressing, too, can be made ahead. Let the salmon come back to room temperature, then nap it with the dressing and top with any garnishes. What I wouldn’t do, however, is dress the salmon too far ahead of time as the dressing will become overwhelming if the salmon is left to macerate too long.
Carpaccio di salmone affumicato
Smoked Salmon CarpaccioTotal Time15 mins Course: AntipastoCuisine: ItalianKeyword: raw, seafood
Ingredients
- 500g 1 lb smoked salmon thinly sliced
For the dressing:
- 1/2 small lemon, juice of freshly squeezed
- A few leaves of fresh parsley, finely minced
- Salt and pepper
- 250ml 1 cup olive oil
For the garnish (optional):
- Capers
- Shavings of fresh fennel
- Thinly sliced red onion
- Arugula
- Avocado wedges
- Pomegranate seeds
Instructions
- Arrange thin slices of smoked salmon on a plate (if you like, over a bed of tender greens as pictured).
- Then, whisk together all the dressing ingredients together until you have a smooth emulsion. Spoon this over the salmon slices.
- Allow the salmon to macerate for just 5 minutes or so before serving, topped with one more garnishes if you like. Some crusty bread to go with is always welcome.
