Wagyu Tartare with Juniper and Quince
Scott Pickett
Scott Pickett
Leading Australian chef Scott Pickett is steeped in tradition, a proud custodian of his profession’s heritage yet equally passionate about mentoring and finding energy in the next generation. “I love everything about restaurants,” he says. “The energy. The organised chaos. The tired feeling in your bones after a great service. The camaraderie too.” ‘Chefo’ to all. Pickett owns venues in Melbourne. Rather than being linked by cuisine - Chancery Lane is French, Longrain is Thai, stately Matilda is a contemporary grill - his restaurants are characterised by real cooking and heartfelt hospitality.
This is an autumnal take on steak tartare with a lively juniper emulsion stepping in for traditional egg yolk, and classic cooler weather ingredients such as quince and pine mushroom adding depth and texture. The knuckle isn’t the cut that most chefs would turn to for tartare but it works well. A quick sear adds some caramelised contrast, and the texture holds up well when the Wagyu is hand-chopped with a sharp knife.
Ingredients
Wagyu
Wagyu
80g (2.8 oz) Westholme Wagyu knuckle
Handful saltbush, fried
Handful chives, chopped
Juniper Emulsion (makes 30 portions)
Juniper Emulsion (makes 30 portions)
2 soft boiled eggs
2 yolks
90ml (3 oz) sherry
40ml (1.35 oz) sherry vinegar
16 juniper berries
700ml (23.7 oz) neutral vegetable oil
10g (1.75 tsp) salt
Poached Quince (makes 50 portions)
Poached Quince (makes 50 portions)
8 litres (2.1 gallon) water
5kg (11 lb) sugar
5kg (11 lb) quince
Pickled Pine Mushrooms
Pickled Pine Mushrooms
House pickling liquid
Pine mushrooms (reserve some fresh pine mushrooms for garnish)
Quince & Mustard Dressing (makes 50 portions)
Quince & Mustard Dressing (makes 50 portions)
500ml (16.9 oz) quince syrup (reserved from Poached Quince)
500ml (16.9 oz) neutral vegetable oil
100g (3.5 oz) Dijon mustard
10ml (0.3 oz) kombu extract
Method
Wagyu
Briefly sear Wagyu over coals, then finely dice. Set aside.
Juniper Emulsion
In a blender combine all ingredients except for the oil and salt.
Emulsify oil, season, store in piping bags.
Poached Quince
Make sugar syrup by simmering water and sugar.
Peel, quarter and cut core off the quinces, keeping all the trim.
Wrap the trim in muslin cloth.
Add quince and trim to the syrup and bring to a simmer.
Roast overnight (or for 8 hours) at 100C / 212F.
Let cool, then dice quince and place in dehydrator for 3 hours at 70C / 157F.
Pickled Pine Mushrooms
Clean mushrooms and vacuum seal with pickling liquid. Steam at 90C / 194F for 15 minutes.
Cool down then slice to serve.
Quince & Mustard Dressing
Whisk all ingredients together.
To Serve
Combine diced Wagyu with 20g (1.3 tbsp) juniper emulsion, 10ml (0.3 oz) quince dressing, 10g (1.75 tsp) dried quince, 10g (1.75 tsp) pickled pine mushrooms, 5g (1 tsp) fried saltbush, 2g (pinch) chives. Mound on a plate and dress with reserved garnishes in a relaxed and freeform fashion.
