The recipe for carrot tartlets by the remarkable Danny Khezzar

© Claire Payen © Delphine Lebrun

Spotted : Danny Khezzar, the most emblematic chef of the 14th season of Top Chef who eliminated 11 candidates in a row, finally unveils his Golden Book, 160 pages of recipes to infiltrate his universe punctuated by hip-hop and sophisticated yet comforting cuisine. In our top 3 : the potato croissant (the recipe that qualified him for Top Chef), the harlequin ravioli with fresh cheese, and these carrot tartlets with great glam potential.

For 4 people

Pie crust :

• 100 g flour
• 80 g almond powder
• 8 g sugar
• 4 g salt
• 2 egg yolks
• 6 cl water
• 20 cl grapeseed oil
• A little melted butter to grease the molds or spray fat

Onion soubise :

• 2 yellow onions
• 75 cl blonde beer
• 20 g hazelnut butter
• Salt, pepper
• 1 pinch of nutmeg

Carrot filling :

• 2 yellow carrots
• 2 orange carrots
• 37 cl carrot juice
• 10 cardamom seeds
• Some seasonal flowers (edible onion flowers or others)
• Salt, pepper

Calamansi gel :

• 1 vanilla pod
• 100 g calamansi vinegar
• 25 cl water
• 3 g agar-agar

For the pie crust :

In a bowl, mix the flour, almond powder, salt, and sugar. Make a well in the middle, add the egg yolks, water, and oil. Using a fork, gradually incorporate the yolks. Finish kneading by hand to obtain a homogeneous dough.

Flatten it, wrap it in plastic wrap, and let it rest in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 160 °C (320 °F).

Roll out the dough thinly and make 4 dough discs with a pastry cutter. Grease the outside of the tartlet molds and place each disc on the back of a mold.

Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before unmolding.

For the onion soubise :

Peel and slice the onions.

Pour them into a saucepan and add the beer until it covers the onions along with the butter. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Cook over low heat until you obtain a compote without browning, then keep warm.

For the carrots :

Wash and peel the carrots. Make balls using a Parisian apple corer. Keep the trimmings and juice them to obtain a juice (or use store-bought carrot juice).

Heat the carrot juice and cardamom in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and add the carrot balls. Cook them in this juice until they are tender. Check the cooking by inserting a knife tip into a ball.

For the calamansi gel :

Split the vanilla pod in half and scrape out the seeds.

In a saucepan, mix half of the calamansi vinegar, water, vanilla seeds, agar-agar, then bring to a boil. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl, then refrigerate until the gel is set. Blend while adding the remaining vinegar until you get a smooth gel.

For plating :

Fill the pie crusts with the onion Soubise.

Add the warm carrot balls in a checkerboard pattern, fill in the gaps with calamansi gel, and finish the presentation with some seasonal flowers.

Also discover a divine healthy recipe for stuffed fish and goat cheese spring rolls.