Like many carnivores I have always had a passion for rare to raw meat and when it comes to real meaty flavour there is little to beat carpaccio, whether it?s beef or ostrich.

To me, it rates right up there with half-dried beef biltong, a rump steak seared quickly over the flames or a bowl of home-made steak tartare.

The special appeal of carpaccio is that it?s extremely tasty and not at all filling because it is sliced so thinly and generally served in smallish portions. And that?s why it works so well as a starter.

As is the case with most dishes there are a zillion ways of preparing and serving carpaccio. Some like it plain with just a little squeeze of fresh lemon juice, salt and black pepper.

I serve it with Parmesan cheese shavings, capers, raw onion and mustard. But you can decide on your own flavourings which could include olive oil (particularly the ones that are lightly infused with chili), balsamic vinegar or a sauce similar to a French salad dressing.

Today?s recipe works equally well for beef or ostrich, though the ostrich tends to be lighter (and healthier).

For four servings you need:

Ingredients

500g ostrich fillet

2 cups of fresh rocket

1 heaped tablespoon of capers

4-8 shavings of Parmesan cheese

1 medium onion, peeled, coarsely grated and drained

Method

Heat a griddle pan over high heat.

Rub the fillet with black pepper and salt.

Sear the meat for one minute, turn and repeat, then remove pan from the heat and set side for the meat to cool.

Once the meat has cooled chill it in the refrigerator for an hour (if you don?t chill the meat you will lose some of its flavour when you slice it).

Cut meat into slices about 3mm thick.

Spread cling film on a wooden chopping board, place the slices of meat on the cling film, and cover the meat with another layer of cling film.

Use the flat side of a meat mallet and gently beat the meat into really thin slices.

Plate up the meat on four plain white plates, arrange fresh rocket and Parmesan shavings around the meat, spoon a tiny heap of grated onion on to the plate (but not on to the meat) and sprinkle the meat with a couple of capers.

Serve with a selection of mustard and crusty bread.