Carrot tartare: a culinary transformation
The secret of this special plant-based tartare lies in a fascinating technique: freezing and thawing carrots twice. This process may seem unusual, but it causes a remarkable change in the structure of the orange root vegetable. During freezing, ice crystals form and break through the cell walls. When thawed, moisture is released and the carrot takes on a slightly “meaty” texture – ideal for a tartare. By repeating this process twice and then roasting the carrots in the oven, you intensify this effect and achieve exactly the tender yet slightly firm consistency you want for a steak tartare.
Preparation: patience is rewarded
Start by peeling 300 grams of winter carrots. Remove the ends and place the carrots in a sealable container or freezer bag. The first freezing cycle requires at least six hours of patience. Then remove them from the freezer and allow them to thaw completely – this takes about six hours in the refrigerator or just under ten minutes in the microwave on the defrost setting. Then immediately put the carrots back in the freezer for the second round of freezing, followed by a second thawing.
The moisture released during this process is valuable: collect it carefully and gently squeeze the roots a little more. This root water will form the basis of a fresh, sweet and sour celeriac garnish with mustard seeds.
A French classic in a plant-based guise
The actual tartare is prepared in the classic French style, complete with finely chopped capers, shallots, gherkins and, as an addition to the classic garnish, dried tomatoes. Fresh dill adds a spicy accent, while Tabasco, soy sauce and mustard provide depth. The vegetable mayonnaise – easy to make yourself with soy milk and oil – binds everything together into a creamy, flavourful tartare. The result is a dish that is entirely its own, not an imitation, but a full-fledged interpretation of this French delicacy.
Sweet and sour: seasoning with character
For the sweet and sour sauce, bring the collected carrot juice to the boil with water, white vinegar, turmeric powder, mustard seeds, sugar and salt. Cover and simmer gently for 15 minutes before adding the finely diced celeriac. After another twelve minutes of cooking, the celeriac will be al dente and the sweet and sour sauce will have absorbed all the flavours. The cooled sweet and sour sauce provides a fresh counterpart to the rich tartare.
Presentation: a feast for the eyes
The presentation elevates this dish to a higher level. Thin slices of avocado, garnished with small sprigs of dill, form an elegant border around the tartare. Using a plug mould, you can create a sleek, professional look on the plate. Small piles of sweet and sour and some roasted buckwheat grains, casually sprinkled on the tartare, add texture and colour. Serve with freshly baked bread and salted vegetable butter or a good olive oil.
Tip: Experiment with a subtle smoky flavour by lightly smoking some of the carrots, or add a drop of smoke flavouring or some smoked paprika to the tartare. This adds an extra dimension of flavour that pairs beautifully with the earthy notes of the carrot.
This carrot tartare proves once again that plant-based cuisine can be innovative and refined, without losing sight of the classic techniques of French gastronomy.
Carrot tartare with thinly sliced avocado, sweet and sour celeriac and crispy buckwheat
Equipment
- 1 dessert ring Ø ca. 6 cm
Ingredients
For the tartare
- 300 g carrot
- 1 el capers finely minced
- 10 g dried tomato finely minced
- 1 el shallot finely minced
- 1 el dill chopped
- 1 el gurken finely minced
- 1 tl tabasco can be replaced with sriracha sauce
- 1 tl soy sauce
- 1 tl mosterd
- 1 el plantaardige mayonaise
- 1 pinch salt
- freshly ground pepper
- 2 el buckwheat kernels crispy roasted in a dry pan
for the sweet and sour of celeriac and mustard seeds
- 75 ml moisture from the carrots, collected after thawing
- 60 ml water
- 75 ml white vinegar
- ½ tl turmeric powder
- 1 tl sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- 2 el mustard seed
- 80 g celeriac, finely diced into 0.5 x 0.5 cm cubes
serveren
- 1 avocado ripe, but still firm
- 8 sprigs dill
Instructions
Preparation for the carrot tartare
- Start by freezing and thawing the carrots twice: peel the carrots and remove the top and bottom ends, place the carrots in a sealable container or bag, put them in the freezer, and allow them to freeze completely for at least 6 hours.300 g carrot
- Then remove the carrots from the freezer, allow them to thaw completely (in the refrigerator for 6 hours or in the microwave on the defrost setting for approx. 10 minutes), then immediately return the carrots to the freezer to freeze them completely again and thaw them again.
- Collect the moisture released from the roots (gently squeeze the roots a little) and use it for the sweet and sour celeriac with mustard seeds.
- Preheat the oven to 190°C (or the air fryer to 175°C), cut the carrots into pieces of approx. 4 cm, sprinkle with salt and pepper, drizzle a few drops of olive oil over the carrots, and roast them in the oven on a baking tray or in the air fryer for 15-20 minutes. Allow the carrot pieces to cool and set aside until use.
sweet and sour celeriac and mustard seeds
- Put the drained carrot juice, water, vinegar, turmeric powder, mustard seeds, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer gently for 15 minutes.1 pinch salt, 75 ml moisture from the carrots, collected after thawing, 60 ml water, 75 ml white vinegar, ½ tl turmeric powder, 1 tl sugar, 2 el mustard seed
- Add the celeriac cubes and cook for another 12 minutes or until the celeriac is al dente, then leave to cool.80 g celeriac, finely diced into 0.5 x 0.5 cm cubes
preparation of the tartare
- Finely chop the carrots: the quickest way is to use short pulsing bursts in a food processor. For a better result, chop the carrots very finely with a chef's knife.
- Prepare the tartare with capers, shallots, sun-dried tomatoes, dill, pickles, Tabasco sauce, soy sauce, mustard, and mayonnaise, and season with salt and pepper.1 el capers, 10 g dried tomato, 1 el shallot, 1 el dill, 1 el gurken, 1 tl tabasco, 1 tl soy sauce, 1 tl mosterd, 1 el plantaardige mayonaise, freshly ground pepper, 1 pinch salt
serve
- Halve the avocado, remove the pit, cut the avocado into quarters, and remove the skin from the quarters.1 avocado
- Cut each quarter lengthwise into 2 to 3 mm thick slices.
- Take 4 good slices and top each slice with small sprigs of dill (without stems) so that the dill sticks to the avocado (see instructional photos).
- Take a starter plate, place the dessrt ring in the center, and arrange the 4 slices of avocado with the dill against the inside wall of the ring.8 sprigs dill
- Fill the dessert ring with 2 to 3 tablespoons of carrot tartare and press down firmly with the back of a spoon. Carefully pull the ring upward so that the tartare remains in place, surrounded by the avocado and dill. Repeat this with all four plates.
- Spoon three little piles of the sweet and sour sauce around the tartare and sprinkle each tartare with a teaspoon of roasted buckwheat grains.2 el buckwheat kernels
- serve with freshly baked bread and salted plant-based butter or olive oil
