Madison life - food - quick-recipes - Beef fillet carpaccio with marinated shimeji & shaved reggiano

Serves 4-6 as an entrée

You will need:

1 tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp white peppercorns
1 tsp celery seeds
Salt
500g beef tenderloin from the centre (grass fed works well)
1 punnet shimeji mushrooms
Good quality extra-virgin olive oil
Pepper
1 tsp hazelnut oil
1 lemon, cut into wedges
1 tsp snipped chives
2 handfuls rocket leaves, picked and washed
100g reggiano or any quality parmesan (make long shavings with a vegetable peeler)

Ready to go:

Step 1: Toast the peppercorns and celery seeds in a dry pan until the aroma is evident. Cool slightly then grind in a mortar and pestle or electric spice grinder to a fine powder, add salt to taste.
Step 2: Lay the beef on a large piece of cling wrap, season all over with the spice mix (reserve some for plating later), then roll up to form a tight cylinder, freeze overnight.
Step 3: Use fingers or a small knife to separate the shimeji mushrooms, cut them in half if they are large. Sauté in a hot pan with olive oil for 3-4 minutes, remove from heat and season with salt, pepper, hazelnut oil and squeeze a few lemon wedges over, finish with snipped chives.
Step 4: Remove beef from freezer and using a sharp knife (use an electric meat slicer for best results) and slice the beef thinly, lay 4-5 slices on each plate, or lay on a share platter.
Step 5: Season with some of the remaining spice mix, scatter the shimeji and rocket leaves over, squeeze over some lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil and finish with the reggiano shavings. Serve immediately.