Carrot Tartare with Microgreens, Fried Carrot Tops, and Edible Flowers
This carrot tartare plays with your senses, surprising and delighting you. On first glance, you might mistake this dish for beef tartare; the ground red carrots closely resemble raw ground beef. The presentation is visually striking; the colors draw you in, seducing you. It’s beauty on a plate and it’s so much fun to create.
Layering and textures play a critical role in this carrot tartare preparation, both in aesthetics and taste. The bottom layer of the carrot tartare consists of diced avocado with a squeeze of lemon juice, to prevent discoloration, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. The avocado provides a lovely creaminess to the tartare.
The second layer is composed of ground red carrots (I used my KitchenAid food grinder attachment to grind the carrots like you would meat, but you can also grind them in a food processor. Just make sure, you don’t pulverize them; you want them to retain some texture), finely diced capers, pickles, shallot, anchovies, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, olive oil and a pasteurized egg yolk.
The raw carrots give a subtle crunch to the tartare that goes well with the smooth avocado. The carrots are sweet and vibrant, and the traditional accoutrements of beef tartare transfer over to the carrots nicely. Microgreens, fried carrot tops, and edible flowers go on top of the carrot layer. This gives the carrot tartare more body and depth. The edible flowers add color to the plate and awaken the senses, adding a garden-fresh aroma to the air. You can keep the flowers whole or break them into pieces and sprinkle the petals over the carrots.
To plate the carrot tartare, you need a ring mold. This allows you to stack the layers, while keeping everything tightly composed. It sounds like you’re constructing a piece of art, and in a way you are. I think that’s what I love most about this appetizer; its beauty, simplicity, and elegance. It’s like wondering into a garden and falling in love with the earth. Vegetables are oftentimes underrated; this carrot tartare makes them shine. I hope you get to make it soon and experience the bounty of the earth.
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Carrot Tartare with Microgreens, Fried Carrot Tops, and Edible Flowers
Print recipe | Serves | 4 |
| Meal type | Appetizer, Salad |
| From book | slightly adapted from The Everyday Gourmet Cooking with Vegetables |
Ingredients
- 2-3 red carrots (very fresh with tops, topped and peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks)
- 1 egg yolk (pasteurized)
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 4 anchovy filets (finely chopped)
- 1 shallot (finely diced)
- 1 tablespoon capers (finely chopped)
- 1 tablespoon cornichon (finely chopped)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (plus a squeeze for the avocado)
- 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- salt (to taste)
- freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
- 2 avocados
- microgreens
- carrot tops (fried)
Optional
- edible flowers (whole or deconstructed)
equipment
- ring mold (for plating the dish)
- KitchenAid food grinder attachment or food processor (for grinding the carrots)
Note
You can substitute regular carrots for red carrots, if needed.
Directions
| Step 1 | |
| Grind the carrots using the KitchenAid food grinder attachment or pulse them in a food processor. | |
| Step 2 | |
| In a bowl, combine the egg yolk, Dijon mustard, anchovy filets, shallot, capers, cornichon, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, and olive oil. Mix well. | |
| Step 3 | |
| Add the carrots to the dressing and stir everything together. Taste for flavor and add salt and pepper. | |
| Step 4 | |
| Coarsely dice the avocados, adding lemon juice to keep it from discoloring. Add salt and pepper to taste. | |
| Step 5 | |
| Spoon the avocado into the bottom of a ring mold and use a spoon to press it down into a uniform layer. Then, add the carrot tartare in a layer on top. Again, press it down so that it's uniform. Lift the ring mold to reveal the circularly stacked avocado and carrot tartare. | |
| Step 6 | |
| On top of the tartare, add microgreens, fried carrot tops, and edible flowers, if using. | |
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