BEEF TARTARE WITH BEET PURÉE, CRISPY QUAIL EGG AND DROPS OF TRUFFLE OIL

For the beef tartare: ν 400g local beef fillet, chopped very finely by hand ν 10g gherkins, finely chopped ν 10g capers, finely chopped ν 10g red onion, finely chopped ν 2T tomato sauce ν 1t Dijon mustard ν 5 drops of  Tabasco ν 1T olive oil ν 1t Worcestershire sauce ν 1 egg yolk ν salt and pepper, to season

Mix all the ingredients until well combined, then set it aside but do not allow it to stand for more than five minutes.

For the beetroot purée: ν 300g beetroot, boiled until soft and peeled ν 50ml beetroot water ν salt

Chop the beetroot into small even chunks, place them in a blender and purée until smooth. Add a small amount of water if necessary to help create a very smooth purée. Season with salt to taste.

For the crispy quail eggs: ν 4 quail eggs, boiled for two minutes, refreshed and gently peeled ν plain flour seasoned with salt and pepper ν 1 egg, whisked ν panko bread crumbs ν vegetable oil, for frying

Place each quail egg into the flour, then the whisked egg, then the panko. Deep fry for 30 seconds until golden brown.

To serve: ν ciabatta Melba toast ν truffle oil ν sea-salt flakes

Divide the beef tartare into equal portions. Spoon the beetroot purée onto four plates and, using a spoon, spread it across each plate. Spoon the tartare onto the plates and arrange the remaining components on each one. Finish with a few drops of truffle oil and season with salt. Serves 4

This recipe originally featured in the September 2013 Issue of HL.