False risotto of vegetables and beet yolk
Akelarre
Chef: Pedro Subijana
Country: España
City: 20008 San Sebastián(Gipúzcoa).<br />
Address: B. Igueldo. Paseo Padre Orcolaga, 56.
(+34)943311209.restaurante@akelarre.net
2007 was, without a doubt, a year of glory for Pedro Subijana, one in which he created a vast number of important dishes -transcendental even- that will stand the test of time, distinguished by their elegance, harmony… and by his refinement and wisdom. There are those dishes which are more essential, like the gelatinous baby squid and onion rings over a beautiful, delicate cuajada of Parmigiano-reggiano with lyophilized ink sauce from the squid–a reinvention of an illustrious recipe in accordance with our times. Or dishes that are more complex, such as the bean salad with a succulent cut of grilled boar, red pepper crumbs and a fragile, liquid sphere of egg–a stunning composition deserving of the Academy Award for best vegetable dish. In either extreme, or somewhere in between, we find other compositions that could easily deserve the Dish of the Year, like the integral red mullet with fusili and different sauces, but if we had to choose one on pure brilliance it would have to be the false risotto of vegetables with beet yolk. It has been presented throughout this year with various products. For example, brunoise of beans, carrot, cauliflower, chard and asparagus, cooked al dente, each one thickened with their own liquefied form and with a delightful adornment of an egg yolk, seasoned in the Carlo Cracco style and covered with a colorful beet jelly. To leave no doubts, this is the most daring vision of a vegetable dish seen in recent times, captured with utter beauty and a heavy dose of modesty. Nonetheless, we remain almost convinced that because of the simplicity of the components, it won’t enjoy a very long life. That’s just the way things are.
The Recipe
False risotto of vegetables and beet yolk
Ingredients
Ingredients for 4 servings:
For the vegetable juice:
- 200 g well-strained carrot juice
- 200 g green bean juice
- 200 g chard leaf juice
- 200 g cauliflower puree
- 200 g asparagus puree
For the vegetables:
- 100 g carrot brunoise
- 100 g green bean brunoise
- 100 g chard brunoise
- 100 g finely crumbled cauliflower
- 100 g white asparagus brunoise
For the egg yolks with beet:
- 4 fresh egg yolks
- 300 g well-strained beet juice
- 7 g salt
- 3 g sugar
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
For the egg whites:
- 60 g egg whites, beaten to peaks and set
- 200 g olive oil
Method
Preparation:
For the vegetable juices:
For the carrot juice:
Peel the carrot, liquefy in a juicer and strain well. Set aside.
For the green bean juice:
Clean the tips of the beans, blanch and leave to cool. Liquefy in the juicer and set aside.
For the chard juice:
Blanch the chard leaves, leave to cool and drain well. Liquefy, strain well and set aside.
For the cauliflower:
Steam the remaining stalks, drain well and blend. Strain and set aside.
For the asparagus juice:
Prepare a puree with the remaining stalks of the asparagus, steam and when cooked, drain well, blend and set aside.
For the vegetables:
Place each of the vegetables in a sauté pan separately with a drizzle of olive oil, heat and cover with their respective purees or juices. Reduce and adjust the salt.
For the egg yolks with beet:
Make a juice with the beets, strain into a container together with the salt and sugar and mix well. Add the fresh thyme and carefully add the yolks, leaving them for 4 hours.
For the egg whites:
Beat the whites with a hand-held beater and leave to set. While they set and lose air, place the oil over heat to a temperature of 70ºC and begin transferring the whites in the form of drops to the oil, where they will coagulate practically on contact. Drain and set aside.
Presentation:
On a deep plate, using a baking ring, place a yolk in the middle surrounded by the different vegetables (separately), taking care to not repeat colors that are adjacent, and decorate with a few drops of coagulated egg white.
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