Tartare takes me back to France, and lets be honest… I’m always trying to go back to France. Anyone that tells you France is overrated has a cynical view on the world- a superiority complex that you should run fast and far from. I can’t get enough of the broken down alleyways (yes, I’m talking about alleys again) contrasted with posh arched doorways hanging open. France is one of those places that I don’t have to do anything in, I just need to be there. It’s like a drug, simply being in its presence gives me enough life to keep going.
Classic French Tartare
When I think of classic tartare, the first thing that comes to mind is the French raw beef tartare. The dish is basically a tower of minced raw beef served cold. When I first started cooking, tartare looked like the most mystical dish on the planet. Like something you could only order at a swanky restaurant, and it’s perfect cylinder structure was calling my name in my sleep. I never suggest giving up our favorite dining experiences when choosing to eat a cruelty free lifestyle, so of course I decided to try and create the elegant dish in my own way.
Ingredients to Serve with a Tartare
This beet tartare is alchemy in its truest form. For the sake of authenticity, I am sticking to some of the classic ingredients in a French beef tartare. That means seasoning the roasted beets in a blend of steak seasoning, worcestershire, and dijon. Traditionally it would be served with a raw egg on top (we will be skipping the egg) and a line up of freshly diced ingredients to spoon in as you’re eating. The table side prep of this dish is what draws me to it. It’s not as simple as just spooning it in your mouth- that would be too easy. Each spoonful you can construct and adjust by what you chose to include on the side…
- Caper
- Pickle
- Mushroom
- Shallot
- Parsley
- Chive
Horseradish Cream
Horseradish is one of my all time favorite ingredients, and the quintessential building block of a great dipping sauce. I keep my horseradish cream very basic. Whisk together plant mayo, plant sour cream, apple cider vinegar, horseradish, and a blend of steak seasoning. My favorite way to eat this dish is dipping horseradish cream on sliced baguette, and spooning a mixture of the beet tartare. This appetizer dish has me wanting to serve it to anyone and everyone I know. It’s flavors and visual aesthetics are the entire reason I started cooking.
Eating beautiful food should wake up a part of your soul, it should take you to another place- that same feeling you get when you walk out of the movie theatre and then its back to real life. That’s the feeling I’m always searching for. It’s the feeling you get when you’re all alone walking through some foreign wonderland, you know you can never really explain it.
