French food carries a reputation for being technically difficult to perfect, but there’s one classic dish at Atelier by Sofitel that culinary director and executive chef Sam Moore loves for its simplicity.
“I love a classic beef tartare,” he says. And the French staple has fast become a signature on the Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour restaurant’s seasonal autumn menu.
“We wanted something traditional, something that people could expect when they walk into a French restaurant – something that would let the produce speak for itself.”
Moore loves the dish most because of its adaptability: tartare makes for a light and fresh midweek dinner, but can just as easily be a showstopping highlight to wow dinner party guests. There is, after all, much joy to be had in slicing through the gooey egg yolk and tossing it through the tender, fresh beef and creamy remoulade.
“You can put it together pretty quickly at home,” he says, “Or, if you’re serving up tartare at a dinner party, keep some of the ingredients separate so guests can get interactive and mix as they like.”
While a tartare is an achievable undertaking for home cooks, Moore says the key to perfecting the dish is really in the quality of produce used. “At Atelier, we focus on making sure every component has been done well. We’re sourcing the highest quality beef from O’Connor Beef and always use fresh herbs.”
As for the best cut of meat? “We use beef fillet, which is one of the most tender cuts, and it’s really best to use the beef either immediately or by the next day.” Moore also says it’s best to serve the tartare at room temperature for that perfect combination of tender and creamy textures.
While the sous-vide process for confiting the egg yolks will add more prep time, Moore swears by it for achieving that perfectly jammy texture at Atelier. If you don’t have a vacuum sealer, he says it’s possible to substitute with a Ziplock or other airtight and leak-proof resealable bag. Alternatively, you can confit the yolks in the same way as garlic: heat up the olive oil in a small saucepan over the stove, then submerge the egg yolks directly into it. Use a cooking thermometer to maintain 63°C, and make sure to keep a keen eye on that temperature over an hour.
But while Moore’s got the recipe at Atelier perfected to a tee, his big tip for home cooks is to make the tartare your own. “We’ve kept it quite traditional and adapt it seasonally for diners at the restaurant, but you can certainly add all sorts of ingredients in there to change it up,” he says.
Once you’ve mastered the classic recipe, Moore says those wanting to test their culinary chops could add some Japanese flair by adding miso to the remoulade or subbing out the cornichons for traditional pickled plums.
You can also take some creative liberties with the garnish. While the team at Atelier uses herbs and flowers grown in-house to give it that delicate finish, Moore says you can pick your own herbs of choice and seek out some edible flowers, which are available at good grocers.
Unlike other recipes, which call for crisps or fries as the preferred vehicle for the tartare, Moore always chooses croutons instead. “The crouton has just the right texture to support the tartare without getting soggy, it lets you enjoy it for longer. You don’t want to have to rush through this kind of dish.”
There’s one final step before anyone tucks into a tartare: Moore says you shouldn’t forget to relish in “the demolition” when you toss up all the components.
Sam Moore’s classic beef tartare
Serves 4
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour
Ingredients:
340g beef fillet, diced and brought to room temperature
1 shallot (approximately 32g), diced
32g capers, chopped
32g cornichons, chopped
4g parsley, chopped
12 drops Tabasco
Salt, to taste
Baguette croutons
1 baguette, thinly sliced
Olive oil, to brush baguette lightly
Confit egg yolk
4 egg yolks
Olive oil, to cover the eggs
Sauce remoulade
100g Kewpie mayonnaise, or similar Japanese mayo
17g Dijon mustard
5g cornichons, chopped
5g capers, chopped
1 tbsp parsley, chopped
1 tbsp chervil, chopped
¼ tbsp tarragon, chopped
1 anchovy, chopped
Salt, to taste
To serve
2 pickled pearl onions, halved
Chervil
Nasturtium, or other edible flowers
Garlic flowers
Bronze fennel
Method:
Start by laying your baguette slices onto a baking tray. Brush them lightly with olive oil, then bake at 160°C for 1 minute. Take out of the oven and set aside.
For the confit egg yolk, prepare to sous-vide by heating a water bath to 63°C. Gently place each egg yolk into a separate vacuum bag, and fill with enough olive oil to cover. Vacuum seal each bag. Then, carefully drop each one into the water bath. Sous-vide for 1 hour.
Meanwhile, prepare the tartare mixture by combining all the ingredients in a small bowl. Season to taste with salt.
Place the sauce remoulade ingredients in a separate bowl. Mix well.
To assemble, set a round mould (a cake ring, large cookie cutter, or ramekin will work) onto the centre of the serving plate. Press the tartare mixture onto the plate, filling the mould. Remove the mould. Using your fingers or the back of a spoon, create a well in the middle of the mixture. Fill the well with the sauce remoulade, then top with the egg yolk.
Garnish with pickled pearl onions, herbs and flowers. Serve with baguette slices on the side.
This article is produced by Broadsheet in partnership with Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour. Visit Atelier by Sofitel to try Sam Moore’s beef tartare and other new additions to the Darling Harbour restaurant’s autumn menu.
Produced by Broadsheet in partnership with Atelier by Sofitel.
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Dining and Cooking