Amador Mora

Seared Carpaccio of Beef with Roasted Baby Beets

Ingredients

1 whole baby beet root, trimmed and scrubbed

3 tablespoons olive oil

10 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

handful rosemary, picked and finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon coriander, smashed

12 oz. center cut beef tenderloin

1/2 teaspoon fresh grated horseradish

1 teaspoon crème fraiche

handful picked over watercress

juice of one lemon and lemon zest, finely chopped

1 teaspoon parmesan cheese, pared into shavings

maldon sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method

1) Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 C, Gas 9). 2) Place the beet roots in a roasting tin with 2 tablespoons oil, balsamic vinegar and seasoning. Toss to coat, cover with tin foil and roast for 45 minutes to 1 hour (depending on size) until completely tender, basting occasionally. 3) Heat a griddle pan or barbecue until very hot. Sprinkle the coriander seeds, rosemary, salt and pepper on to a flat plate and roll, pressing the beef over to encrust it. 4) Brush the griddle pan with oil and add the beef. Sear on all sides, turning every 2 minutes, about 6 minutes total (center will be rare). 5) Chill until cooled, then wrap in plastic and freeze 1 hour. 6) Slice meat as thinly as possible.

To Serve

Arrange the beef on serving plates and sprinkle the beet roots on top. Mix the horseradish and crème fraiche, season and dribble over the beet roots. Dress the watercress with the last tablespoon of oil and lemon juice, scatter all over the plates with the parmesan shavings. Serve at once.