Mark Hix recipe: Beef Carpaccio with pickled Ramsons and shaved Berkswell

Serves 4

Slice of the action: Beef Carpaccio with pickled Ramsons (Jason Lowe)

Near the end of the wild garlic season, I love to pickle the stems, bulbs and buds. Last year, I did cider vinegar and Japanese rice vinegar versions, which I still have now in my store-room fridge.

400g good-quality beef fillet, trimmed of any fat and sinew
Good-quality extra virgin olive oil
Some shavings of Berkswell cheese or Parmesan
Flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the pickled ramsons

The stems and bulbs from 50-60 leaves of wild garlic
200ml cider vinegar
½tbsp caster sugar
1tsp salt
15 black peppercorns
½tsp fennel seeds

At least a couple of days before, but preferably a week, make the pickled ramsons. Bring the vinegar, sugar, salt, peppercorns and fennel seeds to the boil, then leave to cool. Pack the stems into a sterilised preserving jar or plastic container and pour the vinegar mixture over.

Wrap the beef in clingfilm and twist the ends until it has become a tight tubular shape. Place it in the freezer for about an hour to firm it up, but don't let it freeze. Remove the clingfilm and with a razor-sharp carving knife, slice the beef as thinly as possible and lay each slice on to a large sheet of clingfilm.

Cover this with another layer of clingfilm and with your hand or a rolling pin, carefully flatten the meat so it becomes as thin as possible. Lay the slices on to large plates, so that the serving area of the plate is completely covered. Cover with clingfilm and store in the fridge until required.

To serve, season the beef with a couple of turns of freshly milled black pepper and with sea salt. Drizzle on a little rapeseed oil and finally scatter on the pickled ramsons and cheese.