Gordon Ramsay's Tip For Perfectly Sliced Tuna Carpaccio
Tuna carpaccio is a delicious, light, refreshing plate served as an appetizer or entrée. The dish consists of thinly sliced pieces of fresh, raw tuna, herbs, and olive oil. These tuna strips are served with a spicy or savory dipping sauce that usually consists of mustard, citrus, or Asian-inspired dressing (via Delighted Cooking). According to Food & Wine, chefs look for the freshest and highest-grade tuna when preparing tuna carpaccio.
Luxe Gourmets says that the highest grade tuna, #1, is the most quality piece of tuna available. Sushi-grade tuna only receives a number one rating if it exhibits number one qualities of all five grading indicators: appearance, size, color, texture, and fat content. Grade one tuna should be smooth and not grainy, and it has a higher fat content than lower grades of tuna.
After selecting your fish, check out Gordon Ramsay's tip below for how to perfectly slice tuna for carpaccio.
Gordon Ramsay advises using frozen tuna
You may find it difficult to thinly slice the tuna when preparing this dish at home. Of course, a sharp-bladed knife helps, but Gordon Ramsay's hack for efficiently cutting tuna into the ultra-thin slices you desire is a tip you must try. In a YouTube video posted by the "Hell's Kitchen" chef, he shares a few tricks of the trade that make cooking more efficient. The tuna carpaccio tip involves the use of your freezer. Ramsay says to make the most of your appliance by freezing the tuna first, then slicing it into thin pieces. Tuna slices much easier when it's frozen, and Survival Freedom agrees. The site says it's best to cut tuna when frozen and that a sharp, serrated knife works best for the job.
Still having trouble? In Search of Yummyness recommends cutting the tuna into one-inch-thick pieces, covering them in plastic wrap, then pounding the fish with a mallet. This will give you the thin texture you seek when your knife skills are less than perfect.