No.115 Beetroot “Steak” Tartare (Vegan)

Steak tartare is a weakness for me. Apparently originating in Mongolia, travelling though Russia and Germany before becoming a staple on French menus. For some people, well most people, the idea of raw meat doesn’t go down well. I’ve found earthly beetroot takes on all the traditional flavours of a tartare, makes an excellent replacement and is actually a stand out dish in it’s own right.

Three things to note here. First, dice the beetroot as finely as you can. I prefer raw beetroot but cooked beets will give you a more traditional texture. Second, all the ingredients for this recipe are vegan – if your not veggie or vegan switch out the vegan “egg yolk” for an egg yolk and the soy sack egg for Worcestershire sauce (made with fish). Third, the vegan egg yolk. I made a combination of mustard with tomato puree. The ratio I used means the tomato just adds umami and a bright orange “yolk”. A little goes a long way.

Serves: 3

Time: 15 minutes

Difficulty: Straight forward

250g of Cooked or Fresh Beetroot

Half a red onion

3 Cornichons

10 Parsley Leaves

1 tablespoon of Rapeseed Oil

2 teaspoons of Soy Sauce

1 tablespoon of Red Wine Vinegar

1 teaspoon of Capers

1 teaspoon Dried Porcini Mushrooms

Tabasco and Salt to taste

2 tablespoons of Dijon or English Mustard

1 tablespoon of Tomato Puree

1. Chop the beetroot, onion, cornichons and dried mushrooms as finely as you can. With the back of a spoon smash the capers.

2. Mix together with the oil, soy sauce and vinegar. Add half the parsley leaves and mix well.

3. Add salt and tabasco to taste.

4. Make the “egg yolk” by mixing together the mustard and tomato puree to make a rich orange mixture.

5. Assemble on a plate with a large ring cutter to get a round shape or do it in a more rustic manner. Decorate with the remaining parsley leaves and a dollop of the “egg yolk” in the centre.