Crapaudine Beetroot, Cheese Custard, Rye Dukkah, Monks Beard & Samphire

Nina Matsunaga

Nina Matsunaga

2nd July 2020
Nina Matsunaga

Crapaudine Beetroot, Cheese Custard, Rye Dukkah, Monks Beard & Samphire

180 min

On the menu @ The Black Bull in Sedbergh

Ingredients

Crapaudine

  • 2 Crapaudine beetroots
  • Kelp or seaweed powder
  • 125g butter

Cheese custard

  • 100g milk
  • 350g double cream
  • A sprig of thyme
  • Clove of bashed garlic
  • 200g cheese of your choice, grated, ideally good quality cheddar or similar hard cheese
  • Pinch of salt
  • 4 eggs
  • 3 egg yolks

Rye Dukkah

  • Walnut Sesame seed Coriander seed Rye flakes Cumin seed Salt Black pepper

To serve

  • A handful of fresh samphire, picked and washed 3 little bunches of monk’s beard/agretti

Method

Crapaudine beetroot

Peel the Beetroot, top and tail.
Place beetroot in an ovenproof dish, add water enough to nearly cover them, then add butter and a tbsp of seaweed powder and a large pinch of salt.
Cover and cook long and slow in the oven for around 2-3 hours at 150-160 C.
Take them out of the liquid and discard the liquid.
You can use the beetroot full or slightly shave off the end from both sides, so it presents slightly nicer on the plate.

Cheese custard

Heat the milk and cream, add thyme and garlic. Bring to a boil, let infuse for around 20 mins
Strain and heat again.
Meanwhile whisk together eggs and yolks. Once the milk mixture has heated again add cheese and melt. Whisk this mixture into the eggs.
Whisk well so the eggs don’t cook instantly. I often use a handheld blender or a high-speed blender (ninja or thermomix) to emulsify the mixture quicker.
Pour into a dish you want to serve the custard in.
You can use individual ramekins or serving pots or a larger soufflé mould.
Place the dish in a Bain Marie with the water going up 2-3 cm high up the sides.
Cook at 160c between 20-30 mins, longer for large dishes.
It is Cooked when it is just set and still has a wobble. Serve straight away on its own or with salad.

Rye Dukkah

The quantities for this can vary depending on what you like to be the most defining flavour, but a good starting point it to have around 100g walnuts, 70g rye flakes.
Toast these in a dry pan or in the oven until lightly brown and nutty in flavour. Coarsely chop or pulse in a food processor.
Then toast 2 tsp coriander seeds, 2 tsp cumin seeds and grind roughly. Mix both together and add salt and pepper to taste.

To serve

Lightly blanch the monk’s beard for 30 seconds and serve along with the beetroot and cheese custard. Serve the samphire raw on top with the Rye Dukkah.
A little drizzle of good quality extra virgin rapeseed or olive oil works well with this.

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