Merlin Labron-Johnson’s Smoked Beetroot Tartare, Cultured Cream and Amaranth

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 large beetroot
• 3tbsp beetroot ketchup
• 120g cultured cream
• 1L beetroot juice
• 100ml red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp chopped red onion
• 1 bunch amaranth leaves

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 220 degrees.
2. Season the beetroots with salt and olive oil and wrap them in foil.
3. Roast the beetroots in the oven for 1 to 1.5 hours or until tender when pierced with a knife.
4. Leave to cool in the foil for 20 minutes before using a cloth to rub off the skin.
5. Gently smoke the cooled beetroots using organic hay in a BBQ or rationale oven.
6. While the beetroots are smoking, put the beetroot juice and vinegar in a saucepan and boil until reduced to a loose syrup.
7. Pass the syrup through a sieve and leave to cool – it should thicken a little more as it cools.
8. Finely chop the beetroot and season with the beetroot ketchup, red onion, salt and pepper.
9. Plate in a ring mould, and place a spoonful of cultured cream in the middle. Finish with a small spoonful of the beetroot juice in the middle of the cream.
10. Lightly dress the amaranth leaves with oil and vinegar and place over the beetroot.
11. Serve with toast or flatbreads.

Recipe courtesy of Merlin Labron-Johnson of new restaurant Osip opening this November.

Read about the new restaurant opening here.

Image © Ed Schofield