Veal Tartare
Watermelon, Toasted Hazelnuts, Whipped Chèvre, and Housemade Brioche
Chef John Denison of St. Jack | Portland, OR
Adapted by StarChefs | June 2022
INGREDIENTS:
Watermelon Vinaigrette:
100 grams watermelon juice
50 grams hazelnut oil
Salt
Whipped Chèvre:
100 grams chèvre
200 grams cream
Salt
Toasted Hazelnuts:
25 grams hazelnuts
To Assemble and Serve:
75 grams veal, cut into ½-inch cubes
75 grams watermelon, cut into ½-inch cubes
1 tablespoon fines herbes
Lemon
Salt
Black pepper
Shaved hazelnuts
8 onion blossoms
Crusty baguette or brioche
METHOD:
For the Watermelon Vinaigrette:
In a bowl, whisk to combine watermelon juice and hazelnut oil. Season with salt.
For the Whipped Chèvre:
In a saucepan over medium flame, add chèvre and cream. Heat, stirring occasionally, until well incorporated. Season with salt. Load the chèvre mixture into a whipping canister and charge twice.
For the Toasted Hazelnuts:
Heat oven to 375°F. Place hazelnuts on a baking sheet and toast until lightly browned, 10 minutes. Let cool. Rub hazelnuts between hands to remove excess skins then roughly chop into approximately one-half the original size.
To Assemble and Serve:
In a mixing bowl, dress veal, watermelon, and Toasted Hazelnuts with Watermelon Vinaigrette. Add fine herbs and a squeeze of lemon and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper (you want this to be seasoned slightly under because the Whipped Chèvre will add salt). Place a 4-inch ring mold onto a serving plate and scoop the tartare inside. Make a well in the center and fill with Whipped Chèvre. Remove ring mold and allow tartare to fall into a messy circular shape. Top with shaved hazelnuts and garnish with onion blossoms. Serve with crusty baguette or brioche.
