Ingredients

Method

• 3/4 cup beetroot juice
• 1½ t agar powder (available at health shops)
• 5 T olive oil
• ½ t Xanthan gum (available at pharmacies)
• 6 beetroot stems, chopped
• 4 squares puff pastry
• 4 beetroot, roasted and thinly sliced
• 4 T candied onion
• 1 truffle, chopped
• ½ cup shaved Parmesan
• Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled, for serving
• Beetroot shoots and micro herbs, to garnish
• Truffle oil, for drizzling

Method

Ingredients

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

In a saucepan over a medium heat, heat ½ cup beetroot juice. Just before it reaches boiling point, add the agar powder. Simmer for 2 minutes, then add the olive oil. Simmer for a further minute.
Transfer to a blender, add the Xanthan gum and blend for 30 seconds, or until slightly thickened. Spoon into a plastic container and freeze for 15 minutes, or until set.

Gently heat the remaining beetroot juice in a clean saucepan. Add the chopped beetroot stems and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the stems have softened.

Arrange the puff-pastry squares on a greased baking tray and bake for 15 minutes, or until slightly browned.
Remove from the oven, press down and top with the roast beetroot slices, candied onion, chopped truffle and Parmesan shavings. Return to the oven for 5 minutes to finish.

Unmould the jelly and cut it into squares. Top each square with crumbled Gorgonzola. Arrange on a serving plate and garnish with beetroot shoots and micro herbs.

Place a puff-pastry tart on each plate. Top with the macerated beetroot stems and drizzle with truffle oil.

Cook’s note: This dish is perfect served with slices of rare ostrich fillet, drizzled with beetroot foam.