• Entertaining this weekend? This toasted cheesy ciabatta with fillet carpaccio and pesto salad is the perfect dish to serve!

    Recipe and styling by Nomvuselelo Mncube

    Photograph by Dylan Swart

    Toasted cheesy ciabatta with fillet carpaccio and pesto salad

    By Nomvuselelo Mncube Serves: 4
    Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins

    Ingredients

    • CARPACCIO

    • olive oil, to sear
    • 300g beef fillet
    • TOASTED CIABATTA

    • 4 ciabatta slices
    • 2 garlic cloves, peeled
    • 80g butter, softened
    • 50g Parmesan, grated + extra, shaved (to serve)
    • PESTO SALAD

    • 60g beetroot microleaves
    • 60g watercress
    • 60ml (4 tbsp) caperberries
    • 50g basil pesto
    • salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
    • basil leaves, to garnish

    Instructions

    1

    For the fillet carpaccio, heat a little olive oil in a frying pan over high heat and sear the beef fillet on all sides, about 5 minutes in total. Remove the fillet from the pan and allow to cool, 1 minute. Wrap in cling film and freeze, 1 hour (this helps with cutting the carpaccio thinly). Remove and discard the cling film and, using a sharp knife, cut the fillet at an angle across the grain, shaving off thin slices.

    2

    For the cheesy ciabatta, heat the grill and toast the ciabatta slices under the grill, 1 minute in total. Remove from oven, rub the garlic on the ciabatta slices and spread with butter, before scattering over the grated Parmesan. Return the ciabatta to the grill until the cheese has melted, about 2 minutes or until crispy and golden. Remove from oven and break the bread into bite sizes.

    3

    Arrange the fillet carpaccio, cheesy ciabatta, the microleaves, watercress and caperberries on a platter. Dollop with the basil pesto, season to taste, add Parmesan shavings on top and scatter the basil leaves around the platter to garnish.

    Imka Webb
    Author

    Imka Webb is a freelance digital marketing expert and the digital editor of Food & Home Entertaining magazine.  www.imkawebb.com