Beet Salad (serves four)
1 pound good quality beets, greens removed (keep different colors separate if using)
1 Granny Smith apple quartered and thinly sliced
4 oz. arugula
Dressing
· 1 shallot minced very finely
· Toasted and crushed pumpkin seeds (or crushed walnuts)
· 1 ½ tsp. sherry vinegar
· 1 tbl. finely sliced chives
· 1 tbl. pumpkin seed oil (or walnut oil)
· Sea salt and fresh black pepper
Horseradish Cream
· 2 tbl. prepared creamed horseradish (but if you have fresh, grate extremely finely and process in a blender withe vinegar, than add cream over an ice bath gently)
· ½ tsp. rice vinegar or white balsamic
· 1 tbl. mascarpone or crème fraiche
· A touch of sugar if necessary
Beet salad never sounds too exciting, but this extra-classy version is a good way to dress it up and impress friends. This salad forgoes the classic goat cheese in exchange for a lighter and cleaner profile that works well in a multi-course dinner. Pumpkin seed oil is very expensive (and very good), and if you can find it the nutty and earthy flavor works beautifully with the beets. Walnut oil is a lighter-flavored substitution that works, but not quite as well. The horseradish is the secret.
1. Preheat oven to 300°F. Rinse the beets and remove any of the greens remaining. Put beets in a small oven-safe container, such as a small saucepot, add one tbl. olive oil and a dash of water to the beets. Be sure to use a tight- fitting lid so that no steam escapes. Cook beets in oven until a knife inserts smoothly into the largest of them, approximately 50 minutes – do not overcook though. Allow to partially cool, rub skin off and slice thinly.
2. While the beets are cooking prepare the horseradish by mixing the creamed mixture with the crème fraiche or mascarpone. Whisk well, adding the rice vinegar and a touch of sugar if necessary. A touch of olive oil may be needed.
3. In a large bowl mix the minced shallot, pumpkin seeds (or crushed walnuts), vinegar, chives, and oil. Mix. Put half of the mixture into second bowl. In first bowl toss the beets with the dressing and season. In second bowl with other half of dressing toss the arugula and sliced apple.
4. Assemble. Put 1 tbl. of horseradish mixture onto each plate and push with the back of a spoon to spread in a circle. Carefully layer dressed beets in a perfect circle on top of the horseradish (or use a ring mold). If you are using the pumpkin seed oil you can quickly drizzle it around the plate Jackson Pollock/‘80s style for that clever ironic look. Very gently pile the dressed apple and arugula mixture so that it looks light and fluffy and intentionally off-center in an arty ikebana kind of way. Toss a few more seeds or nuts on the plate and pair with a 2009 Muscat Canelli by you know who...
Options, yeah, you got options. Lots of 'em. Beets are sweetly savoury and earthy, like Winona Ryder with a hangover walking to the bus stop, or a good Nuits-St. George. They are a smooth platform for all sorts of antics, daring or tame. Your wine pairing will probably have more to do with the vinegar you add for brightness or the horseradish than the beets themselves. Arugula can be a little tricky as well, so you can either overpower it with big guns or you can smoothly work with it, which is where the bit of sugar and texture in the Muscat comes into play. Remember that texture is always a component to consider, and a little sugar goes a long way. The food should always be a little less acidic than the wine, but in this recipe there are many points to cover - nutty, sweet/tart apple, bitter green arugula, deep earth and sweet beet, and a bit of horseradish fire. This is a tall order for any wine. Sure you could out acid and angle it with a Grüner or sparkler, but the salad as a whole is too complex I think for a cohesive counter point to account for all this. Plus, if you are doing a multi-course dinner, pair this slightly sweet and then go angular on the next with a meat dish or into a light red. Always think of flow and contrasts. It is o.k. to use a lightweight throwaway wine on one then alternate with a wine-centric dish for the next course. Sometimes wine folks need to let the food speak when the dish sings, because I guarantee you will need to cover up the kitchen's fuckups at some point. Other options I like would be a similar Chenin Blanc, Oregon Pinot Gris, possibly a Friulano or Fiano. Just watch the greens and let the beets come forward while quenching the horseradish to keep the salad clean and fresh.
O
O
Options, yeah, you got options. Lots of 'em. Beets are sweetly savoury and earthy, like Winona Ryder with a hangover walking to the bus stop, or a good Nuits-St. George. They are a smooth platform for all sorts of antics, daring or tame. Your wine pairing will probably have more to do with the vinegar you add for brightness or the horseradish than the beets themselves. Arugula can be a little tricky as well, so you can either overpower it with big guns or you can smoothly work with it, which is where the bit of sugar and texture in the Muscat comes into play. Remember that texture is always a component to consider, and a little sugar goes a long way. The food should always be a little less acidic than the wine, but in this recipe there are many points to cover - nutty, sweet/tart apple, bitter green arugula, deep earth and sweet beet, and a bit of horseradish fire. This is a tall order for any wine. Sure you could out acid and angle it with a Grüner or sparkler, but the salad as a whole is too complex I think for a cohesive counter point to account for all this. Plus, if you are doing a multi-course dinner, pair this slightly sweet and then go angular on the next with a meat dish or into a light red. Always think of flow and contrasts. It is o.k. to use a lightweight throwaway wine on one then alternate with a wine-centric dish for the next course. Sometimes wine folks need to let the food speak when the dish sings, because I guarantee you will need to cover up the kitchen's fuckups at some point. Other options I like would be a similar Chenin Blanc, Oregon Pinot Gris, possibly a Friulano or Fiano. Just watch the greens and let the beets come forward while quenching the horseradish to keep the salad clean and fresh.
O
O
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