Ingredients:
Beets:
- 1 large red beet
- 1 large gold beet
- 1 large candy cane beet, peeled
Aji Amarillo ‘Leche de Tigre’:
- ½ cup (120 ml) ají amarillo paste
- ½ cup (120 ml) fresh lime juice
- ¼ cup (60 ml) water
- 2 medium cloves garlic, grated
- 1-inch (2.5 cm) piece fresh ginger, grated
- Salt
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) very finely chopped cilantro
To Serve:
- Beets, Aji Amarillo ‘Leche de Tigre’
- Optional garnishes: corn nuts, sweet potato chips… …
Special equipment:
- French mandoline
- 2 ½ inch (6 cm) cookie cutter
Method:
For the Beets:
Preheat oven to 350 F (175 C).
Individually wrap red beet and gold beet in foil. Roast for 2 hours, until easily pierced with tip of a knife.
When ready, remove the beets from the oven, remove foil and allow to cool at room temperature for 30 minutes, then transfer to refrigerator to cool completely.
Using a French mandoline, slice a candy cane beet very thin, make a stack with the slices.
Slice the gold beets, a little thicker than the candy cane beets. Make a stack.
Slice the red beets, the same thickness as the gold beets, make a stack.
Use a 2–inch (5 cm) cookie cutter to trim the stacks of roasted beets. Then slice into half moons with a knife. Keep cool until ready to plate.
Trim the candy cane beets with a 1 ½-inch (3 cm) cookie cutter. Set aside.
For the Aji Amarillo ‘Leche de Tigre’:
In a blender, combine the lime juice, garlic, ginger, and aji paste, season with salt and blend on high speed, adding water only as needed (a few teaspoons at a time), until a smooth purée forms.
Pour into a small bowl and stir in cilantro.
To Serve:
On a serving platter or plates, spoon a pool of sauce. Place the sliced beets, alternating colours, over the sauce.
Garnish the beets neatly with candy cane beets, corn nuts, and sweet potato chips.
Serve immediately.