Serves 2
For the Polenta:
- 250g Polenta
- 1 L carrot juice
- 50g butter
- 75g fresh grated parmesan
- Salt
First bring the carrot juice to the boil; whisk in the polenta and once soft (about 12 minutes) add the butter, parmesan and if needed the salt. Once cooked pour into a rectangular tray with at least 1.5” of height. Allow to set, then cut out two triangles by hand, and then using a small pastry ring (35mm), cut one spherical shape. Cut a small hole in the centre of the spherical shape using an even smaller pastry ring. Fill the hole with the mushroom mixture as described below.
For the mushroom filling:
- 30g closed cup mushrooms, finely diced
- 1 shallot
- 1 clove of garlic
- 20g butter
- 1 sprig of thyme
- 100ml double cream
Melt the butter, then add the shallots and garlic; continue to cook until golden. Add the diced mushrooms and cook for a further 3 minutes. Now add the double cream. Cook down until the cream thickens, adding the thyme just before the end of cooking. Season to taste.
For the broccoli stalk and Broccoli puree:
- 1 head broccoli
- 100g unsalted butter
- Xantham gum
- Salt and pepper
Cut the stalk away from the head, slice off the round edges to form a rectangle, wash, cut into 4 smaller rectangles and gently fry with 50g of the butter under a very low heat until cooked all the way through; season and then set aside.
Cut the florets downs to make sure everything is the same size. Add to a pan of salted boiling water and when cooked refresh in iced water. Blend with tiny drops of the cooking water if needed, adding the xantham gum.
For beetroot wedges:
- 2 small bunch’s beetroot
- Salt to taste
- 100g sugar
- 150ml red wine vinegar
In a pan, cover the beetroot with water, add the vinegar, salt and sugar. Bring to the boil, simmer, then cook until tender. Peel whilst still warm and cut into wedges.
For the beetroot ketchup:
- 600g beetroot juice
- 10g salt
- 6g agar agar
- 200g red wine vinegar
- 80g light brown sugar
- 50g soy sauce
Take the beetroot juice, add the agar agar and heat through to 95oC. Now blitz with a hand blender. Combine the vinegar and sugar, bring to the boil, and set aside to cool. Add the vinegar mix to the beetroot along with the soy sauce.
For the pickled Shiitake:
- 200g Shiitake mushrooms, cut into ½ cm slices
- 150ml red wine vinegar
- 100ml water
- 50ml soy sauce
- 100g brown sugar
- 20g fresh ginger, sliced
- 1 red chilli
Combine the red wine vinegar, water, soy, brown sugar, and ginger. Bring to the boil then add the chilli and mushrooms; set aside.
For the crispy quinoa:
- 100g quinoa
Cook quinoa in a pan of boiling water until soft (about 12 minutes), drain and refresh with cold water; drain again. Now spread on greaseproof paper, and dry in the oven at 120oC. Next, deep fry the cooked quinoa at 190oC, strain through a sieve and drain on kitchen paper.
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