Recipe: Chewy Beet Salad
Cook Time:
3 hours,
40 minutes
Servings:
2 to 4 servings
- 2 bunches (2 pounds) baby red beets
- 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
- 10 garlic cloves, smashed
- 5 thyme sprigs
- 2 rosemary sprigs
- 2 bay leaves
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 cup beet juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sherry vinegar
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Chervil leaves, for garnish
- Thinly sliced raw Chioggia beets, for garnish
- Roast the beets: Preheat the oven to 400º. On a large piece of aluminum foil, toss the beet ingredients together to coat. Place on a baking sheet and roast until tender, 40 to 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool, then trim, peel and slice each beet in half.
- Turn down the oven to 200º and line a baking sheet with a wire rack. Place half of the beets on the rack and return to the oven. Cook until the beets dehydrate, yielding a chewy texture and condensed sweetness, 2½ to 3 hours.
- Meanwhile, make the dressing: In a small sauce pot, add the beet juice and bring to a simmer. Cook until reduced to 3 tablespoons, 15 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl and let cool. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the reduced beet juice, olive oil and sherry vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add the roasted and dehydrated beets to the bowl with the dressing and toss to coat. Transfer to a platter and garnish with the chervil leaves and Chioggia beets, then serve.