Ease of Preparation: Easy
Yield: 4 servings
Chef Siobhan Detkavich is cooking for… Aries! So… what does a Fire Sign with a ruling planet of Mars eat? How about a sweet, earthy roasted red beet (Red planet? Red beet!) alongside airy whipped goat cheese and fruity pink peppercorns… it’s out of this world!
Ingredients:
Roasted Beets:
- 4 large red beets, trimmed, greens reserved (see below)
- ½ lemon, juice
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Whipped Goat Cheese:
- 10 ounces (283 g) goat cheese
- 1 cup (240 ml) crème fraiche
- 1 lemon, zest
- ½ lemon, juice
- Salt and pepper
Crispy-Fried Beet Greens:
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- Reserved beet greens (see above), washed and very well dried, cut into ½ inch (1.25 cm) strips
- Salt
To Assemble:
- Roasted Beets
- Whipped Goat Cheese
- Crispy-Fried Beet Greens
- Olive oil, to garnish
- Crushed pink peppercorns, to garnish
Method:
Preheat oven to 350 F (175 C)
For the Roasted Beets:
Wrap the beets in foil and roast for 1-1 ½ hours, until tender.
Remove from oven and allow to cool to room temperature.
For the Whipped Goat Cheese:
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the goat cheese and crème fraiche.
Add the lemon juice and zest, season with salt and pepper.
Using the whisk attachment, whip the mixture until fluffy, smooth, and light, 2-3 minutes.
Set aside until needed.
For the Crispy-Fried Beet Greens:
In a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil to 350 F (175 C).
Fry the chopped beet leaves in the hot oil until crispy, roughly 15 seconds.
Carefully transfer the strands onto a paper towel-lined plate and season immediately with salt.
To Serve:
When the beets are cool enough to handle, rub off the skins using a kitchen towel. Cut into nice wedges, season with salt and pepper, and toss with lemon juice and olive oil.
On serving plates, create a swoosh of Whipped Goat Cheese using a small offset spatula.
Place the Roasted Beets off-center or very near the Whipped Goat Cheese.
Drizzle olive oil over the Roasted Beets.
Place Crispy-Fried Beet Greens overtop the beets to create a nice design.
Garnish with pink peppercorns. Serve immediately.