Roasted Beet Salad with Oranges and Curry Vinaigrette
So far every restaurant in New York that I’ve cooked at has had at least one beet salad, and they’re all as different as can be. Some use big red beets, some use baby beets; some are served with goat cheese, others with pistachios. The beet salad is a fun menu item because it’s so colorful, and the beets’ versatility allows for many different interpretations.
In this version of the beet salad, the beets are flavored with a lively curry vinaigrette. Orange segments add some juicy acid and color, and parsley throws in some green. This recipe comes from a book by the CIA called Garde Manger: The Art and Craft of the Cold Kitchen
Roast in a pan covered with foil, with a little water to keep them moist
Toasting spices for curry powder
Doing it old school - grinding curry powder in mortar and pestle - all I have at the moment is that tiny mortar & pestle, so it took a while...
Making curry oil
Curry oil - dark and aromatic
Curry vinaigrette
Note: For this recipe, you will need to first make curry-infused oil (3rd recipe), then use that to make curry vinaigrette (2nd recipe). Yes that’s three recipes for one salad, but in the process you will learn to make a delicious and unique vinaigrette that would also be delicious over chicken, potatoes, etc.
Heat & Knives
The Recipe
Source: Garde Manger: The Art and Craft of the Cold Kitchen
Roasted Beet Salad
Yield: 10 servings
4 beets, greens trimmed to 1 inch (about 2 pounds)
salt, as needed
3 oranges, cut into suprêmes (segments)
Preheat the oven to 375 F. Arrange the beets in a 2-inch half hotel pan; add water just to cover the bottom of the pan. Season with salt. Cover with foil and roast until fork tender, approximately one hour depending on size.
While the beets are roasting, combine dressing ingredients.
Trim the beets, slip off the skin, and slice into 1/4-inch rounds. The slices should also be halved or quartered as needed to provide a uniform size. Add the dressing while still warm.
Let rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before serving or cooling for storage.
Alternate the sliced beets with orange slices, but be sure to assemble this at the last minute or the beets will bleed onto the oranges.
Curry Vinaigrette
For 1 cup:
3 tbsp cider vinegar
2 tbsp orange juice
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tbsp honey
1 tsp minced ginger
1 tsp minced lemongrass (optional)
4 ounces Curry-Infused Oil
pinch of salt and black pepper, to taste
Combine the vinegar, orange and lemon juice, honey, ginger, and lemongrass.
Whisk in the curry oil gradually.
Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
Curry-Infused Oil
5 oz sunflower oil
3 tbsp curry powder
Heat the oil in a small saucepot with the curry powder until approximately 150 F. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Strain the oil into a bottle or other clean container. Allow to cool, and recap.
Store in a cool, dark area. Use within 3 to 4 days.
Toss the beets with the curry vinaigrette
January 9th, 2010 at 12:56 am
Happy to come to your site..full of good stuff.
January 27th, 2010 at 12:09 am
Some very interesting recipes here, and a very interesting blog too.
I will have to bookmark this and stop by more often.
thanks