Crudo

Crudo means "raw" in Italian. As a dish, it is raw fish or seafood, sliced thin or cut small, and dressed at the last moment with good olive oil, an acid such as lemon or vinegar, and flaky salt. It is light and fresh, and the quality of the fish is the whole point.

How to do it

1. Buy very fresh fish that is sold as safe to eat raw, such as tuna, sea bream, scallops or salmon.
2. Keep the fish very cold. Chill your plates in the fridge too.
3. Slice across the grain, about 5 mm (¼ inch) thick, with a long, sharp knife in one smooth stroke.
4. Lay the slices on the cold plate in a single layer.
5. Just before serving, drizzle with olive oil and a few drops of citrus juice. Add finishing salt, and a little chili, herbs or citrus zest.
6. Serve right away.

Common mistakes

• Dressing it early. Acid firms and whitens the fish within minutes, which turns it into a quick ceviche.
• Sawing the knife back and forth. It shreds the flesh.
• Too much dressing. You should taste the fish first.
• Letting it warm up. Raw fish should go from fridge to table.

In recipes

A recipe that says "crudo" means raw seafood with a simple last-minute dressing. It is related to three other raw dishes. Ceviche marinates the fish in lime juice until it turns opaque. Carpaccio uses slices pounded paper-thin, often of beef. Tartare chops the fish or meat into small dice.

Restaurants sometimes list a plate of several raw fish as crudi, the plural. The word also turns up in prosciutto crudo, which is cured ham that is not cooked.

Raw fish can carry bacteria and parasites. Freezing fish before eating it raw reduces the parasite risk. People who are pregnant, young children, older adults and anyone with a weak immune system should avoid raw fish.