Turn Your Passion into a Profession
Getting to culinary school is easier than you think
This Week's Lessons
Week 3 - Working with Seafood
Day 1 - Preparing Fish
Day 2 - Storing Fish
Day 3 - Preparing Shellfish
Day 4 - Poaching, en Papillote
Day 5 - Preparing Raw Fish
Next Week's Lessons
Week 4 - Cooking Vegetables
Day 1 - Vegetable Basics
Day 2 - Preparing Leafy Greens
Day 3 - Preparing Stalks and Legumes
Day 4 - Preparing Bulb Vegetables
Day 5 - Preparing Roots and Tubers
View all weeks
Week 3 - Working with Seafood
Day 1 - Preparing Fish
Day 2 - Storing Fish
Day 3 - Preparing Shellfish
Day 4 - Poaching, en Papillote
Day 5 - Preparing Raw Fish
Next Week's Lessons
Week 4 - Cooking Vegetables
Day 1 - Vegetable Basics
Day 2 - Preparing Leafy Greens
Day 3 - Preparing Stalks and Legumes
Day 4 - Preparing Bulb Vegetables
Day 5 - Preparing Roots and Tubers
View all weeks
ONLINE COOKING CLASS Get ready for culinary school
Featured Online Cooking Course
Not quite ready to commit to a full-time culinary degree program? Test the waters by learning from the professional chefs—online! Try an online catering and gourmet cooking course from Penn Foster Online.
Email to a Friend
Week 3: Working with Seafood
Lesson 5: Preparing Raw Fish — Crudo, Tartare, and Ceviche
In this lesson, we'll explore raw fish preparations, including crudo, tartare, and ceviche.
There are a number of ways to prepare raw fish, called variously crudo, carpaccio, and tartare. These names are open to personal interpretation and, to a certain extent, may be used interchangeably. Broadly speaking, however, the different names represent different ways of cutting the fish: carpaccio refers to very thin slices, crudo to thicker pieces, and tartara to small bits, or dice. The decision about whether to serve carpaccio or tartare is also a practical one; after filleting and portioning a whole fish, for example, a chef may use good quality, leftover scraps for making a tartare because they are not large enough for a carpaccio.
All three preparations are traditionally dressed with a few quality ingredients: olive oil, an acid (lemon juice or a vinegar), and salt. The chef may embellish with whatever flavorings he or she likes, including but not limited to fresh herbs and spices.
In the Raw: Crudo, Tartare and Beyond
Crudo means "raw" in Italian. It is a stylish way to serve raw fish both in Italy and in Italian restaurants in America, perhaps as a response to the popularity of sushi, which crudo resembles.There are a number of ways to prepare raw fish, called variously crudo, carpaccio, and tartare. These names are open to personal interpretation and, to a certain extent, may be used interchangeably. Broadly speaking, however, the different names represent different ways of cutting the fish: carpaccio refers to very thin slices, crudo to thicker pieces, and tartara to small bits, or dice. The decision about whether to serve carpaccio or tartare is also a practical one; after filleting and portioning a whole fish, for example, a chef may use good quality, leftover scraps for making a tartare because they are not large enough for a carpaccio.
All three preparations are traditionally dressed with a few quality ingredients: olive oil, an acid (lemon juice or a vinegar), and salt. The chef may embellish with whatever flavorings he or she likes, including but not limited to fresh herbs and spices.
