Recipe: Cream of Picardy Beets

Name: Crème de betteraves Picardes
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 65 min
Yield: 4 portions
Ingredients: Doigts de ficelle toastée raifort et baies roses.Juste un rappel pour vous indiquer l'importance de la récolte de betteraves en Picardie : celle ci correspond a 1/3 de la production Française et à plus de 10% de celle du Marché commun.; Crème de betteraves Picardes pour 4 personnes :; 1 belle betterave(400 g) crue épluchée un peu évidée côté feuille(3cm) et taillée en gros morceaux; 3 échalotes ciselées; 400 g de grosses pommes de terre (bintje)épluchées et taillées en gros morceaux; 1 litre de bonne bière blonde; 30 cl de crème liquide 30%; huile de colza; fleur de thym; sel fin et 1 cuiller a café de 4 épices; 1 ficelle coupée en 2 sur la longueur puis; chaque moitié coupée en 2 dans cette même longueur et taillée en 8 doigts; 2 cuillers a soupe de raifort artisanal râpé (en pot); baies roses

By chef patrick Asfaux ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 4.3/5 (7 reviews) Starters

Prep 10 min

Cook 55 min

Total 1h05

Servings 4 serv.

Ingredients for 4 servings

Toasted string cheese fingers with horseradish and pink peppercorns.

Just a reminder to indicate the importance of beet harvesting in Picardy: it corresponds to 1/3 of French production and more than 10% of that of the Common Market.
Cream of Picardy beets for 4 people:
1 beautiful beet (400 g) raw peeled slightly hollowed out on the leaf side (3cm) and cut into large chunks
3 shallots minced
400 g of large potatoes (bintje) peeled and cut into large chunks
1 liter of good blonde beer
30 cl of liquid cream 30%
rapeseed oil
thyme flowers
fine salt and 1 teaspoon of mixed spices
1 string cut in half lengthwise then
each half cut in half in the same length and cut into 8 fingers
2 tablespoons of artisanal grated horseradish (in a jar)
pink peppercorns

Step-by-step directions

1 In a saucepan, pour 2 tablespoons of rapeseed oil, heat it slightly then pour your beet cubes, your shallots a little thyme flowers, salt and sprinkle with your mixed spices, cover and let sweat gently for 15 minutes.

2 Then add your beer* and when boiling pour your potato cubes if everything is not covered pour a little water, season lightly and cook for 40 minutes at a gentle boil.

3 Then test the cooking of the beet cubes, then blend everything quite thoroughly when everything is smooth add the cream and give it only a very small turn of blending (to not lose the color), then taste it with a small spoon.
Finishing:
Toast your string cheese fingers in the toaster then spread them with your horseradish and sprinkle a few pink peppercorns for the crunch.
This cream can be eaten cold or hot, one can even hope that with its pronounced taste of red fruits the children start to like pink soup. (smiles).
*The beer can be replaced by apple juice (excellent too).