Name: Raw flank steak, pickled carrots and salsa verde
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4 - 6
Ingredients: To serve: thinly sliced sourdough baguette; For brushing: olive oil; 1 garlic clove, halved; 220 gm pasture-raised beef flank, very finely chopped; 2 tbsp finely chopped golden shallot (about 3 shallots); ½ cup (loosely packed) baby leaves, such as sorrel and dandelion (see note); Pickled carrots; 1 tsp coriander seeds; 400 gm Dutch carrots, scrubbed, tops trimmed to 3cm and reserved for salsa verde; 500 ml (2 cups) apple cider vinegar; 80 gm caster sugar; 2 garlic cloves, bruised; 10 white peppercorns; 2 fresh bay leaves; Salsa verde; ½ cup (loosely packed) basil, coarsely chopped; ½ cup (loosely packed) flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped; ¼ cup (loosely packed) carrot tops, coarsely chopped; Juice of ½ lemon; 2 tsp baby capers in salt (unrinsed); 1 anchovy fillet; ¼ garlic clove, finely chopped; 100 ml olive oil

Raw flank steak, pickled carrots and salsa verde

Darren Robertson recipe for raw flank steak, pickled carrots and salsa verde from Three Blue Ducks in Sydney for Gourmet Institute.

Serves 4 - 6

Prep

20M

Cook

Total

25M

“You won’t need all the pickled carrots for this recipe, but they have lots of other uses, so it’s worth filling the jar,” says Darren Robertson of Three Blue Ducks. Start this recipe a day ahead to pickle the carrots.

Ingredients

To serve: thinly sliced sourdough baguette

For brushing: olive oil

1 garlic clove, halved

220 gm pasture-raised beef flank, very finely chopped

2 tbsp finely chopped golden shallot (about 3 shallots)

½ cup (loosely packed) baby leaves, such as sorrel and dandelion (see note)

Pickled carrots

1 tsp coriander seeds

400 gm Dutch carrots, scrubbed, tops trimmed to 3cm and reserved for salsa verde

500 ml (2 cups) apple cider vinegar

80 gm caster sugar

2 garlic cloves, bruised

10 white peppercorns

2 fresh bay leaves

Salsa verde

½ cup (loosely packed) basil, coarsely chopped

½ cup (loosely packed) flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped

¼ cup (loosely packed) carrot tops, coarsely chopped

Juice of ½ lemon

2 tsp baby capers in salt (unrinsed)

1 anchovy fillet

¼ garlic clove, finely chopped

100 ml olive oil

Method

Main

1.For pickled carrots, dry-roast coriander seeds in a pan over medium-high heat until fragrant (20-30 seconds). Place carrots in a tall, narrow 350ml sterilised jar. Bring remaining ingredients and 2 tsp sea salt flakes to the boil in a saucepan, pour over carrots and set aside to cool. Seal and refrigerate for 24 hours.

2.For salsa verde, pound ingredients except oil to a coarse paste with a large mortar and pestle, then mix in oil. Season to taste and refrigerate until required.

3.Heat a char-grill pan over high heat. Brush sourdough with olive oil and grill, turning once, until charred and warmed (1-2 minutes each side). Rub with cut side of garlic and keep warm.

4.Thinly slice a few pickled carrots into rounds on a mandolin, holding them by the stem (remainder will keep refrigerated for 2 weeks). Combine in a bowl with beef, shallot and cup salsa verde, season to taste, drizzle with extra salsa verde, scatter with baby leaves and serve with toast.

Note Baby sorrel and baby dandelion leaves are available from select greengrocers under the Petite Bouche label; otherwise you can buy seedlings from select nurseries.
Notes