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Carpaccio with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Parmesan Shavings

Having had the good fortune to have lived in Italy and worked in some fine Italian restaurants, I know that beef carpaccio is a classic standard that everyone loves. I really wanted it on my menu, so I turned it into a sandwich. You can use Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano cheese depending on your budget. This is best on a focaccia, but works well on a crunchy ciabatta also.

Ingredients

a drizzle Lemon Olive Oil (see recipe)

100 g (3 ½ oz) good-quality beef carpaccio (if possible, from your local butcher)

½ lemon

salt and black pepper

50 g (1 ¾ oz) Parmesan cheese, in one piece, and shaved

40 g (1 ½ oz) sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil, drained, and cut into 1 cm (½ inch) pieces

1 handful young rocket (arugula) leaves

Method

Cut the bread in half and drizzle both sides with the lemon olive oil. Layer the carpaccio on one slice of the bread, squeeze over a few drops of lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper. Now layer on the Parmesan shavings, scatter over the sun-dried tomatoes, then the rocket leaves. Cover with the second slice of bread.