Beetroot tart, caramelised walnut and lardo
Chef Merlin demonstrates his skill in balancing acidity, sweetness and texture in this beetroot starter. Lardo – with its long flavour and creaminess – is balanced with sweet beetroot and crunchy caramelised walnuts. It is seasoned with bright and vibrant citrus kosho: a Japanese fermented chilli condiment, often made with yuzu (called yuzu kosho or yuzugosho) that can be made with many citrus fruits.
Ingredients
Metric
Imperial
FILLING
- 1 large beetroot, cooked and peeled
- 1 tbsp of citrus kosho
- 1 tbsp of chopped chives
- 1 tbsp of olive oil
- 50ml of beetroot juice, reduced to a syrupy consistency that lightly coats the back of a spoon when cool
- 75g of crème fraîche, plus extra to serve
LARDO
- 50g of caster sugar
- 50ml of water
- 4 walnuts
- 4 slices of lardo, (cured back fat), sliced into thin rectangular slices using a meat slicer
- 1 dried quince, cut into 2cm sized chunks
- micro purple wood sorrel, to garnish
- vegetable oil, for deep-frying
TARTLET CASES
- 55g of masa harina
- 6g of beetroot powder
- 75g of warm water
- baking spray
Equipment
- Meat slicer
- 3cm diameter x 2cm tartlet moulds
- 5cm pastry cutter
Method
For the tart filling, preheat the oven to around 85°C and line a baking tray with baking paper. Cut the cooked beetroot into quarters and place on the tray. Bake in the low oven until dry and chewy – approximately 2-2½ hours. Leave to cool
- 1 large beetroot, cooked and peeled
For the lardo element, start by caramelising the walnuts. Make a sugar syrup by dissolving the sugar in the water. Add the walnuts, bring the mixture to the boil and cook until it reaches 110°C. Remove the walnuts from the syrup and leave them to cool and dry
- 50g of caster sugar
- 50ml of water
- 4 walnuts
Heat the vegetable oil in a deep pan over a medium-high heat, or preheat a deep-fat fryer to 170°C. Once the walnuts are dry, deep-fry them in the oil until caramelised (about 1 minute). Leave to cool completely and then pat dry with kitchen paper
- vegetable oil, for deep-frying
Place a whole walnut and a chunk of dried quince onto each slice of lardo. Roll up into cylinders and top each with a leaf of micro purple wood sorrel. Set aside in the fridge
- 1 dried quince, cut into 2cm sized chunks
- 4 slices of lardo, (cured back fat), sliced into thin rectangular slices using a meat slicer
- micro purple wood sorrel, to garnish
For the tartlet cases, preheat the oven to 170°C and grease a tartlet mould with baking spray. Mix together the masa flour, beetroot powder, warm water and a pinch of salt. Knead until you have a smooth dough. Use a rolling pin to roll out to the thickness of a 5p coin (just under 2mm) then cut into discs 5cm in diameter. Place each disc into the tartlet mould and bake for approximately 10 minutes, or until crispy. Cool slightly in the moulds, then carefully remove and set aside at room temperature in an airtight container
- baking spray
- 55g of masa harina
- 6g of beetroot powder
- 75g of warm water
Mix the crème fraîche with a teaspoon of the reduced beetroot juice to make it pink. Transfer to a piping bag
- 75g of crème fraîche
- 1 tsp beetroot juice, reduced to a syrupy consistency that lightly coats the back of a spoon when cool
Finely dice the chewy beetroot and mix it with the citrus kosho, chives, olive oil and 1 tsp of the reduced beetroot juice. Season with salt and set aside
- 1 tbsp of citrus kosho
- 1 tbsp of chopped chives
- 1 tbsp of olive oil
- 1 tsp beetroot juice, reduced to a syrupy consistency that lightly coats the back of a spoon when cool
Fill the masa tartlet cases with the diced beetroot mix and secure on serving plates with a dot of crème fraîche. Top with a little of the pink crème fraîche, make a little well in the centre and finish with a drop of the remaining beetroot juice. Serve with the lardo rolls
- crème fraîche, extra to serve
- beetroot juice, reduced to a syrupy consistency that lightly coats the back of a spoon when cool
After six years working in Michelin-starred restaurants in Switzerland, France and Belgium, Merlin Labron-Johnson returned to the UK to open Portland. Nine months later, he was awarded a Michelin star at just twenty-four years old. Now he can be found in Bruton, Somerset, with his restaurant Osip, which was awarded a Michelin green star in 2023.
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