CARPACCIO OF golden beetroot
with Champagne Crab and Baby Sorrel
CARPACCIO
16 medium golden beetroot, washed carefully to remove grit and sand
3 litres (6½ pints) water
200 ml (7 fl oz) verjuice
100 ml (3½ fl oz) chardonnay vinegar
pinch of saffron threads
80 g (2¾ oz) sugar
1 teaspoon salt
freshly ground white pepper
1 x 1 kg (2 lb 2 oz) champagne crab
½ cup finely snipped chives
100 ml (3½ fl oz) Lemon Vinaigrette
fleur de sel
freshly ground white pepper
1 cup baby sorrel
The carapace of the champagne crab has protective spikes covering it. Once the crab is dead these spikes should be removed with a cook’s blowtorch to prevent any mishaps while you are removing the meat.
TO POACH THE GOLDEN BEETROOTS, place them in a medium-sized pan and cover with the remaining ingredients. Taste and adjust the flavour balance to your liking. Heat to just below a simmer and poach gently, uncovered, for about 2 hours, or until the beetroots are tender. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly in the poaching liquor. When cool enough to handle, peel the beetroots.
Pour the liquor through a sieve double-lined with muslin. Bring 200 ml (7 fl oz) of the strained liquor to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes until reduced by two-thirds to a syrup. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.
TO COOK THE CRAB, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, then lower the heat to a simmer. Place the crab in the pan and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Remove the crab from the water and leave until cool enough to handle.
Remove the legs and claws from the crab, crack them and remove the meat. Crack the body shell and remove all the meat from the carapace. Carefully pick through all the crab meat removing any specks of shell or cartilage. Transfer to a clean mixing bowl and add the snipped chives, vinaigrette, fleur de sel and pepper. Toss gently to combine.
TO SERVE, use a mandolin or very sharp knife to slice the beetroot as finely as possible. Arrange the slices in a neat overlapping circle on each plate. Spoon a neat layer of crab meat on top of the beetroot, garnish with a few leaves of baby sorrel and drizzle with the golden beetroot syrup.
Serves 6 as an entrée