Beet tartare

I know that red beets aren’t on the approved list of vegetables in America but I love them. And I regularly impose them on my dinner party guests, sometimes just to watch them push the bright red mixture around the plate. This tartare makes the most of their naturally gorgeous color. It keeps well in the fridge for about 2-3 days.


serves: 4 – 8        difficulty: easy      prep time: 20 – 30 min


Ingredients

  • 6 medium red beets (about 1 1/4 pbs)
  • 1 shallot
  • 6 cornichons
  • 1/3 cup capers
  • 2 tbs parsley
  • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp sherry vinegar
  • a few drops Tabasco sauce
  • 1 tbs mayonnaise

Preparation

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Wash the beats, and wrap each one in aluminum foil. Place them in a roasting pan or baking sheet, and bake them for about 60-90 min until they are soft but not mushy. After about 45 min you can start testing doneness by poking one of the beats with a fork through the foil. If the fork goes in easily, they are done. Let the beets cool. Then put on rubber gloves, peel the beets, and chop them mirepoix size – i.e. 1/8 inch cubes.

Put the shallots, cornichons, capers, parsley, vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce in a food processor, and pulse the mixture until chopped but not pureed.

Then mix the chopped beets, the mixture from the food processor and the mayo. Add the tabasco, and salt and black pepper to taste. Adjust the seasoning as needed.

IMG_5652

To plate, use cylindrical form to shape the tartare on the plate into cylinders.

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