The carpaccio of your life! The recipe of the month is back!

Eric puts his Maïté hat back on to share his favourite recipes.

Ultra-fresh scallops, the perfect acidity of a calamansi syrup (from l'Épicerie HABILE of course), a divine olive oil (not to say the best in the world), skilled hands and always a lot of love.

We're giving you the recipe that will set your next dinner table on fire.

Without further ado:


Ingredients for a perfect starter for one:

- Three scallops (ideally hand-dived scallops, and above all, very, very fresh!)
- A drizzle of calamansi oil from Huilerie Beaujolaise (available in our épicerie)
- A drizzle of olive oil (we make our own oil at our family estate in Carrière d'Avignon, in the Luberon, and we sell it at Habile)
- A turn of white pepper from Madagascar (from our Epicerie too!)
- A pinch of smoked salt (optional)

Calaman-what?

Calamansi (also known as calamondin) is a small citrus fruit native to the Philippines. This cross between a limequat and a mandarin tree measures only 3cm in diameter, but it's packed with vitamin C! Our calamansi vinegar is handcrafted by Huilerie Beaujolaise, in France, using time-honoured methods.
Our chef @ericfontanini chose it for its perfect balance of acidity and sweetness to dress his scallop carpaccio.
Speaking of scallops, did you know that ours are dive-caught — harvested from the seabed by scuba divers, one by one, by hand? This way, the seabed isn't damaged, and the scallop doesn't get filled with sand.

And since we're in cultural-minute territory, let's tell you where carpaccio actually comes from! In the 1950s, in Venice, an Italian countess asks for a dish of raw meat. Looking at her plate of thinly sliced beef, the chef's mind goes to the last art exhibition he attended: Vittore Carpaccio, known for his use of vivid reds… see the connection?
Today carpaccio comes in every colour and with every ingredient: radish, beetroot, veal, sea bream… The only rule is that the preparation must be raw and thinly sliced!


The most important thing for this recipe is choosing ultra-fresh scallops! That means a trip to your fishmonger — not the frozen aisle. If they're still moving, don't panic: that means you've got it exactly right! Once you've tamed the beast, you're in for a treat.
If your fishmonger hasn't opened them for you, grab a knife and a spoon — that's all it takes! Do it like Eric and you can't go wrong.

At HABILE, nothing gets thrown away! You can keep the scallop frills (the part around the edge of the shell that, among other things, keeps it watertight) to make a stock, use them in a sauce, or dehydrate them and sprinkle them over your dishes.

Once removed from their shells, place the scallops flat-side down on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, slice them as thinly as possible — you're cutting across the grain.

Arrange your slices on your favourite plate, and now for the serious part: the seasoning. It's as foolproof as it is delicious.

A drizzle of calamansi vinegar, a generous glug of olive oil, a turn of the pepper mill… And that's it! Yes, really. Already.

If you like, you can add a pinch of smoked salt — but since scallops already live in saltwater, it's not strictly necessary.

All that's left is to dig in!