Crafting a Carrot Tartare

Jeff Maxfield

“It’s hard to have the courage to put something like this on the menu because people laugh at you,” says Jeff Maxfield, chef/partner of contemporary wood-fired concept Walrus Rodeo, providing the origin story of his Carrot Tartare. “All of us know and enjoy snacking on carrots at family gatherings, but this dish provides the experience with a real focus on coloring slightly outside the lines.”

Maxfield’s tartare is built in the classic ring mold, featuring a range of flavors and textures from the base to the top: carrot burnt mole, cooked ground carrots, fermented diced carrots and carrot top salsa verde, crowned with carrot trim espuma, mustard seed and rosemary. For a crunchy carrier, the tartare is served with crackers made from carrot and rice flour flavored with galangal and Florida orange, cooked three times for maximum crunch. “The dish captures the playfulness, intensity and detail of how we are cooking,” says Maxfield. “People are surprised about where you can take a carrot.”

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