How to Make a Killer Tartare Like a Michelin-Starred Chef
It's 2019. It's no longer surprising to find men in the kitchen anymore. A Time article reported Gen X men have become more involved in meal prep—from grocery shopping to cooking—compared to their fathers.
If you're unsure about how to start in the kitchen, start with something simple: Raw recipes are easy yet sophisticated. Chef Benjamin Collombat of the Michelin-starred Le Jardin de Benjamin can teach you how to make tartare like a pro.
Of all the raw dishes to choose from, tartare is probably the place the start. Tartare is a raw dish, typically beef or tuna, served with egg yolk. The trick to making good tartare, according to Collombat, is to use fresh and seasonal ingredients. For summer, switch beef to prawn, toss in some tropical fruit, and enjoy your new start as a home chef.
Ingredients:
To make the tartare base:
- 4 prawns
- herb shoots
To make the chutney:
- 0.80 grams of red onions
- 0.005 grams of minced garlic
- 0.800 grams of mango flesh
- 0.030 centiliters of olive oil
- 0.050 centiliters of rice vinegar
- 0.100 grams of fresh lychee
- iodized salt/pepper to taste
To make the espuma (thermo whip) bergamot:
- 0.200 grams of melted butter
- 0.075 grams of egg white
- 0.050 centiliters of yuzu juice
- 1 sachet of matcha green tea
- 1 bergamot lemon
- iodized salt/pepper from the mill, to taste
- 2 gas cartridges (for the cream whipper/espuma gun)
How to make tartare in three steps:
- To prepare the prawn, cut each in half and then dice into smaller pieces. Season with herbs.
- To prepare the chutney, sweat the garlic and onions in olive oil for about two to three minutes. Add the mango and cook for five minutes. Slowly, add the rice vinegar and cook until the mixture thickens into the consistency of a compote. Once the compote has cooled, add the sliced lychees. Season to taste.
- To prepare the espuma, melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed pan. Add the lemon zest and the tea and let the flavors infuse into the butter. Once the flavors have been infused, add the rest of the ingredients and siphon so that the liquid is smooth. Keep at room temperature.
Once you have all the ingredients prepared, all you need to do is to assemble them in a glass and voila, that's how you make tartare.
In a small glass, fill the bottom with your chutney. Scoop in your freshly made tartare. Finally, with the espuma gun, top your creation with the thermo whip and some fresh herbs.
