I was reading the Joel Robuchon menu from Las Vegas just to know what was on the menu. I think the first appetizer I read was called La Betteraue that translates to the beet. The menu described it as beets and apple with herbs, and green mustard sorbet. I searched the web and couldn’t find a recipe for it but I did find photos of the plate with different variations. I came up with something different but it was inspired by what I saw and read from Robuchon’s menu. Serving size is difficult to judge and also makes maybe twice as many tuille as you really need. This is almost sweet and almost dessert like….I thought it is perfect as an appetizer or dessert for people who don’t like dessert. I like for the serving to be extra small….so this makes around ten extra small servings or really about 5 normal servings. This recipe will take two days to prepare.

Ingredients for around ten extra small servings

1 lb beets – peeled – cut into pea sized cubes

1 large apple – peeled, cored – cut into pea sized cubes

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

1/2 cup light brown sugar or natural cane sugar

1 cup water

3 Tablespoons tapioca flour (or just blend up tapioca)

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1 egg – beaten

2 oz unsalted butter – room temperature

2 1/2 oz sugar

1 egg white

2 oz flour

1 1/2 teaspoons brown mustard seeds

1/4 teaspoon pink peppercorns (crushed with fingers)

8 oz jalapeños -core, stem seeds removed – rough chopped

6 garlic cloves

1 cup water

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2 avocado

2 Tablespoons cilantro -chopped

big pinch ground white pepper

1 cup assortment fresh herbs and or sprouts to finish.

non stick spray

Directions

Set oven to 350 degrees F.

Make the tuille dough

Mix together the butter, sugar, egg white, flour, mustard seeds, and peppercorns. Wrap with plastic wrap and now refrigerate.

Make the beets.

In a big mixing bowl mix together the beets, apple, vinegar, sugar, water, tapioca flour and salt.

Put this mixture in a large baking dish and cook it on the middle rack of a preheated 350 degree F oven for an hour and 15 minutes. Let cool till room temperature.

Now make tuile.

Pull dough out of the refrigerator and let warm to room temperature.

Turn oven to 300 degrees F.

Fill a pastry bag with a line tip. Place parchment paper on a baking sheet. Get creative and squirt out a design in a single layer with slight spaces. The dough will spread. This dough only needs a short time in the oven…You want them in the oven till the ends lightly brown. The timing varies depending on size. Mine took around 12 minutes. You can leave them harden on the baking sheet or lift them up and dry them on an uneven surface so you can make them into an interesting shape.

Make the jalapeño salsa cream.

Bring to a boil the water jalapeños and garlic and salt. Reduce to simmer and let it simmer ten minutes. Then add the oil, avocado, cilantro and white pepper and blend.

Finish up the beets

Set oven to 350 degrees F.

Mix in the beaten egg into the cooled off beet mixture.

Spray a cupcake pan with non stick spray. Spoon in beet mixture and cook around 15 minutes. Let cool on counter till room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap and chill over night.

The next day insert a butter knife at the edges and pop them out of pan. Serve at room temperature and top with herbs, jalapeño cream and serve with a tuile or two.

Enjoy!