Miso Beetroot Tartare with Avocado Cream, Jalapeño & Smoked Almonds
Serves 2 | Prep: 20 mins | Cook: 20 mins
I created this dish for the Carbon Beach Club at Malibu Beach Inn and it featured on their menu over the summer.
Getting the chance to visit California and utilising the best local ingredients really allowed me to do something very different from my typical cooking. I usually deal with seasonal Irish produce, but because I was in a new place I had the chance to experiment.
Being influenced by the vibrant culture of street food and fusion, I included classic SoCal, Mexican and Japanese flavours like avocado, jalapeño, soy and lime to create something vibrant, punchy and summery. I chose beetroot as a base because it’s also widely available in Ireland. In this way I was able to draw a connecting line back to my home.
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Knife
Large bowl
Blender
Squeeze bottle or piping bag (optional)
Spoon
Serving plate
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Tartare Mix
230g cooked beetroot
1 tbsp. white miso paste
1 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tbsp. mirin
1 tbsp. capers (chopped)
black pepper
Crema
2 avocados
1 tbsp. Greek yoghurt
2 tbsp. mayonnaise
bunch flat leaf parsley
1 clove gartic
2 Limes (zest & juice)
2 tsp. sea salt
1 tbsp. honey
1 tsp. sugar black pepper
Garnish
jalapeño
beetroot crisps
capers
pickled onions
smoked almonds
pomegranate seeds
pea shoots
fresh chives
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First make the tartare mix. Chop cooked beetroot into small even cubes. Add to a bowl along with the miso, soy, mirin, chopped capers and some freshly cracked black pepper. Mix well and leave covered in the fridge for a few hours, preferably overnight.
For the avocado cream sauce, peel and gently fry the garlic clove in some olive oil until soft and golden before adding it to a blender along with art of the other ingredients. Mix until smooth and creamy. Add a dash of water if it's too thick. You can make it a day ahead to allow the flavours to come together and add to a squeeze bottle or piping bag for easy plating.
This dish is very customisable. You can make it visually striking by spreading the mix evenly inside an 11cm round cutter, dotting large dollops of the cream sauce around it and topping with the listed garnishes as photographed, but it's also delicious alongside crackers, or simply put on sourdough toast with the sauce dressed over the top. Alternative garnishes that work well include chopped black cherries, blackberries, shaved hazelnuts or sesame seeds.