Seared wagyu sirloin on truffled jerusalem artichoke puree
16 June 2011

Serves: 4 as a starter

Preparation time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

For the chrain

  • 1 beetroot
  • 4 tbsp freshly grated horseradish if available
  • 2 tbsp cider vinegar
     

For the truffled Jerusalem artichoke puree

  • 500 g jerusalem artichokes, peeled and sliced 1cm thick
  • 250 ml double cream
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 tsp truffle oil

For the crispy curry leaves

  • vegetable oil, for deep-frying
  • 1 handfuls curry leaves, from the stem

For the beef

  • 250-300g  Wagyu beef sirloin, trimmed of excess fat, at room temperature
  • 1 tbsp grapeseed oil

Instructions

 

For the chrain: preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4. Wrap the beetroot in foil and bake until cooked through - you will be able to insert a skewer through it. Remove from the foil and place in a bowl of iced water, then peel the skin off. Roughly chop it, then puree it in a food processor together with the horseradish and vinegar. Season with salt. 
 
For the truffled Jerusalem artichoke puree: place the artichokes in a pan with the cream and bay leaf, add a little salt and cover with water by 2cm. Bring to the boil, then cook over a moderate heat until the artichokes are cooked and the liquid has gone below the level of them. Remove the bay leaf, strain the liquid into a bowl, then purée them in a small food processor, adding some of the cooking liquid to thin it out. Mix in the truffle oil and season well. Keep warm. 
 
For the crispy curry leaves: heat the vegetable oil in a deep-fat fryer or pan to 180C. Deep-fry the curry leaves until crisp, then drain on kitchen paper. 
 
For the beef: depending on the beef, you may prefer to cook it in one piece and then slice it, or you may prefer to cook individual portions. Heat a heavy-based pan. Rub the oil all over the beef and season generously with sea salt. Cook the beef in the pan for 1 minute over quite a high heat. Turn the beef over and brown on all sides, cooking it to medium rare at the most. Leave to rest in a warm place for 5 minutes. 
 
To serve, dollop the artichoke puree onto four warmed plates. Slice the beef and lay on top, place a little chrain to the side, then scatter with the curry leaves.