Preparation time
30 mins to 1 hour
Cooking time
1 to 2 hours
Serves
Serves 2
Equipment: You will need a food processor.
Ingredients
- 100g/3½oz egg white (3 small free-range eggs whites)
- 500g-1kg/1lb 2oz-2lb 4oz fine salt
- 1 celeriac, approx 650g/1lb 7oz
- 390g jar pickled walnuts
- 100g/3½oz tapioca flour
- vegetable oil, for deep-frying
- olive oil, for frying
- 1 fillet of beef on the bone
- 1 red chicory
- 1 white chicory
- 1 frisée lettuce
- 75g/2¾oz of blue cheese, crumbled
- 1 tbsp 2.5cm/1in chopped chives
- 2 tbsp walnut oil, for drizzling
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 300ml/10fl oz jus or beef gravy, to serve
- 2 walnuts, roughly chopped, to serve
Method
Preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7. Mix the egg whites and salt into a paste. Put the paste around the celeriac to form a salt crust and place on a baking tray. Bake for 1½ hours, then set aside to cool completely. (This can be done the night before, if preferred.).
Drain the pickled walnuts, reserving the liquid, and blend in a food processor. Slowly add the liquid, blending all the time, until a thick, smooth purée forms. Sieve the mixture into a clean bowl and set aside.
For the celeriac chips, break up the salt crust and discard. Cut the celeriac into chip-sized pieces and dust in the tapioca flour. Heat the oil in a deep-fat fryer to 190C (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.). Fry the celariac chips until golden, then drain on kitchen paper.
Heat a little olive oil in a frying pan over a high heat. Season the beef, then fry for 2 minutes on each side, or until done to your liking. Set aside to rest somewhere warm.
Cut the base off the chicory and lettuce and remove the outer leaves. Separate the inner leaves and place in a large bowl. Sprinkle over the blue cheese and chives, season and drizzle with a little walnut oil.
To serve, heat the jus until hot. Remove the bone from the beef fillet and slice the meat in half, then place it on two warmed plates and spoon the jus over it. Add the chips and salad with a spoonful of walnut ketchup on the side. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts.