An appetizer of salmon and wolffish carpaccio is an elegant way to begin cocktails or dinner. Teeming with the flavors of lemon, olive oil and herbs, this fish carpaccio is quick and easy to prepare. Chef Mario d'Orio of the Le Mahatma restaurant recommends a glass of Auxey-Duresses Blanc in keeping with the freshness of the carpaccio.

Traditionally, the carpaccio is made from slices of raw beef. The meat is sliced ever so paper thin and then doused with a creamy olive oil vinaigrette. Its red hue is the inspiration behind its name, from the 15th century painter Vittore Carpaccio who was renowned for the red tones of his paintings likened to raw beef.

In this recipe, chef d’Orio uses two kinds of fish. Salmon, which we may know raw as sashimi or as part of sushi, is sliced thinly about 1/8 inch thick. This rich, buttery fish with a lined, light orange flesh is a perfect ingredient for the carpaccio. Meantime, the wolffish has a pearl white flesh. Its subtly sweet flavor and firm texture is a perfect contrast to the salmon. Together, they paint a beautiful carpaccio canvas.

While the carpaccio was created by the Italians, the French incorporated it into their cuisine and produced the carpaccio to perfection. French carpaccios range from the beloved canard or duck variety, vegetables, tuna and the salmon in our recipe. The modern carpaccio incorporates an almost infinite variety of carpaccios, including the combination of two fish filets in chef d’Orio’s recipe.

Because of the contrast in their flavor and hues, the salmon and wolfish form a fantastic combination between two ingredients from the same source—the sea. The carpaccio is slightly “cooked,” if at all, by the lemon in the vinaigrette but ultimately it is eaten as fresh as the fish the chef can source. The nutrients are there just as the fresh flavors of the sea. Serve with a glass of Auxey-Duresses Blanc.