Description[]
Source: COOK COLOR - MARIA ZIZKA
A salad the color of pinot noir, these three cool shades of red look striking together on the plate.
Ingredients[]
- 12 baby red beets (1½ to 2 pounds/680 to 910 g)
- 1 small shallot, very thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar
- Fine sea salt
- 4 large blood oranges
- ¼ cup (60 ml) olive oil
- Freshly ground pink pepper
- ½ small radicchio, leaves cut into bite-size pieces
Directions[]
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Rinse the beets and trim their tops and roots.
- Arrange the beets in a baking dish large enough to hold them in a single layer.
- Pour about ¼ cup (60 ml) water into the dish.
- Cover tightly with aluminum foil and roast until the beets are tender all the way through when pierced with a fork, about 1 hour.
- Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.
- When the beets are cool enough to handle, peel away their leathery skins.
- Cut the beets into wedges and place them in a large bowl.
- Place the shallot, vinegar, and ¼ teaspoon salt in a small bowl and set aside to soften while you prepare the fruit.
- Using a sharp knife, cut the top and bottom off one blood orange.
- Stand the orange on one cut side on your cutting board so that it doesn’t roll around.
- Place the blade of your knife at the top of the orange and cut down, tracing the curved line of the fruit, to remove a section of the peel and white pith.
- Rotate the orange and continue cutting away the peel and pith until you’ve removed it all.
- Go back and trim any pith still clinging to the fruit.
- Slice the orange crosswise into thin rounds.
- Repeat with the remaining blood oranges.
- Whisk the olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and a few grinds of pink pepper into the shallot-vinegar mixture.
- Pour this dressing over the beets, add the radicchio, and toss gently.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more salt or olive oil if needed.
- Arrange the salad on a platter, place the orange rounds on top, season with more pepper, and serve.
Yield: Serves 6 to 8