Beet tartare
This is a veggie version of an all-time favourite dish. Earthy, ruby-red beets are pickled to add sweet and sour notes, then bound with sour cream and traditional tartare garnishes.
SERVES
6
TO
8
Ingredients
Pickling Liquid
- 2 cups (470ml) water
- 2 cups (470ml) apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) salt
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) sugar
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- 2 sprigs dill
- 1 teaspoon (5ml) black peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon (5ml) coriander seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.5ml) ground nutmeg
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 teaspoons (10ml) marmite
Beets
- 4 large red beets
- 4 cups (950ml) pickling liquid
Assemble
- 2 small shallots
- 8 gherkins
- 1/4 cup (60ml) sour cream
- 1/4 teaspoon (1.25ml) dijon mustard
- Salt and black pepper, to season
- Hot sauce
- Root vegetable chips, to garnish
- Chives, finely chopped, for garnish
Directions
Pickling Liquid
- In a large pot, combine the water, vinegar, salt, and sugar, and bring to a boil.
- Lower the heat to a simmer and add the thyme, rosemary, dill, peppercorns, coriander seeds, nutmeg, garlic, and Marmite.
- Remove the mixture from the heat and allow it to steep.
Beets
- Place the beets into a medium-sized saucepan. Cover with cold water.
- Bring to a simmer and cook beets until tender all the way through, roughly one hour.
- Peel the beets and cut them into small dice. Reserve half of the diced beets.
- Place the other half of the diced beets in a non-reactive container and strain the Pickling Liquid over until covered. Allow sitting for two hours.
- Strain the beets and discard the liquid.
Assemble
- Finely mince the shallots and gherkins. Place into separate bowls and reserve.
- In a small bowl, combine the sour cream and Dijon. Mix until well combined and set aside.
- Place the pickled and unpickled beets in a medium-sized, chilled bowl. Season well with salt and pepper.
- Add hot sauce to taste.
- Gently mix in the shallots and gherkins, until well combined.
- Stir in the sour cream mixture until well combined.
- Place a ring mould on a chilled plate.
- Carefully spoon a portion of beet mixture into the mould, patting it down so it’s flat and even.
- Remove the ring mould.
- Garnish the disc of beet tartare with the root chips and chopped chives on top.
- Repeat with the remaining mixture and serve immediately. Enjoy!
