Gregan's Castle Miso Cup, Beetroot, Apple and Smoked Eel
Thank you to Gregan's Castle for sharing this delicious recipe – one of the amuse-bouche on the menu.
SERVES
8
PEOPLE
Ingredients
For the pickled dice
300g cider vinegar
200g sugar
100g water
1 granny smith apple, peeled and finely diced
1 medium red beetroot, peeled and finely diced
For the beetroot and apple purée
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, and finely grated
2 red beetroot, also peeled and finely grated
sugar, 10% weight of the combine weight of the apple and beetroot
salt and apple cider vinegar to season
For the cup mixture
Pickled Apple and Beetroot Dice
Caramel/Apple Purée
Lough Neagh smoked eel, diced
For the miso cream
1 litre cream
60g white miso
Method
For the pickled dice
First make the pickle liquid. Bring the vinegar, sugar and water to the boil, remove from the heat.
Pour half of the hot pickle liquid over the apple dice, leave overnight if possible.
In a small pot, add the other half and the beetroot dice. Bring to a low simmer and cook the dice until al dente, about 10 minutes. Let cool.
For the beetroot and apple purée
Add the sugar to a pot that will comfortably hold everything. On a medium heat allow the sugar to turn to a dark caramel.
Add the apple, the sugar may solidify in clumps, but as the apples release their liquid and heat, these will dissolve back into the mixture.
After a few moments add the beetroot and mix well.
Lightly cover with tinfoil and leave on a low-medium heat until nearly all the liquid is dissolved and the beetroot is cooked and soft.
Blend on high speed until smooth, season with salt and vinegar.
For the cup mixture
In a bowl, add equal quantities of the apple/beetroot dice and diced eel.
Add the puree and mix through, you are not looking for a loose mixture, the puree should merely bind the elements together.
For the miso cream
Add the cream and miso to a pot, bring gently to the boil and reduce. (Too much heat will cause it to boil over).
Reduce until it is almost reduced by half. It should have almost a custard-like thickness. Season with salt and fresh miso if needed. Pass through a fine sieve.
If you have a whipped cream siphon, fill with the mixture and charge it with one gas canister.If not, reduce it slightly less, and when serving aerate it with a hand blender and spoon over. Either way keep the mixture warm, but not boiling hot, for serving.
To serve, place a spoonful of the apple/eel/beetroot mix in the bottom of a small bowl or cup.
Pour over the miso cream, either by siphon or spooned over.
In the restaurant, we finish it with a dusting of beetroot powder, and a few drops of oil infused with roasted eel trim.
