These Beef carpaccio tartlets are perfect for an evening dinner party with friends or an after work nibble to keep you going until dinner.
Serve with a glass of wine and you will feel transported to a summer holiday destination.
Serves: 4
Preparation time: 30minutes
Cooking time: 20minutes
What you’ll need:
- 450g piece of Scotch Beef fillet, trimmed of any fat and sinew
- 2tsp mixed peppercorns, pounded in a mortar and pestle
- 1tbsp rosemary, finely chopped
- 2 pinches salt
- 1 small raw beetroot, peeled
- 1 medium carrot, peeled
- 100g celeriac, peeled
- 2tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2tbsp balsamic vinegar
- Hot horseradish sauce
- 8 small basil leaves
For the tartlets:
- 200g plain flour
- 100g cold, unsalted butter, cut into cubes
- 25g finely grated parmesan
- 2tbsp cold water
- 10cm mini tart tins, buttered
What to do:
- To make the pastry, put the flour, butter and cheese into a food processor and pulse until breadcrumbs, add the water and pulse again to combine. Remove from the processor and pinch together with your fingers, chill while you sear the meat.
- Mix the pepper, rosemary and salt together on a flat surface and roll the beef firmly in it to evenly coat the surface. Heat a griddle to very hot and brown the meat on all sides, 5 – 6 minutes. (The best way to do this is to use long handled tongs to steady the meat when browning). Remove to a board to cool.
- Heat the oven to 200°C and place a baking sheet on the middle shelf.
- Thinly roll out the pastry and use to line the mini tins. Prick the pastry cases with a fork and press some buttered foil into the cases to prevent the pastry sliding whilst cooking.
- Bake for 10 minutes, carefully remove foil and finish cooking a further 10 minutes until the pastry is crisp and golden brown. Cool a little in the tins then remove to a cooling rack.
- If you have a mandolin grater, cut the vegetables into very fine julienne strips, do the beetroot last! If not, cut each into very thin slices and then cut those into very thin matchsticks, leaving them in three separate piles. In a small bowl mix together the oil, vinegar and salt and set aside.
- Slice the beef as thinly as possible with a very sharp knife. It doesn’t matter if the slices break up a bit, it will melt in the mouth. Carefully arrange a couple of slices into each of the pastry cases with a pile of the little vegetable sticks next to them.
- Dress the vegetables with some oil and balsamic and the beef with a trail of the horseradish. Top each with a basil leaf.
Recipe by Quality Meat Scotland