beet Napoleon

 makes 4-6

what you need:

6 red beets (to roast)
6 golden beets (to roast)

1 candy beet (to
blanche)

use the 13 beets as follows:

purée

4 ounces roasted red beets
1-2 teaspoon beet juice 

1 teaspoon olive oil

kosher salt (to taste)
½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice

diced beet melange

2 golden beets, diced
2 red beets, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon red wine (fig) vinegar
½ teaspoon sel de Guérande (or sea salt)

sliced beets

1-2 roasted red beets, thinly sliced
1-2 roasted golden beets, thinly sliced

cru (raw)

1 candy beet, washed, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 cup water¼ cup granulated sugar

how to: 

• Roast. Clean beets well with a vegetable brush. Remove beet tops (reserve for something else). Wrap the 12 beet bulbs with aluminum foil. Place all 12 bulbs on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Roast in an oven preheated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit until a fork can easily be inserted into the bulbs. 

• Peel. Once beets are cool enough to touch, remove the foil and peel the skins (they should easily come off). Keep the golden beets separate from the red beets.

• Slice. Using a mandoline or a chef’s knife, thinly slice 2 red beets and 2 golden beets. Set aside. These will be your “puff pastry” layers.

• Dice. Dice 2 red beets and 2 golden beets. Place in a bowl. Add olive oil, vinegar, and salt. Combine. Set aside until ready to use.

• Purée. Chop 2-3 red beets and place in a small food processor or a stainless steel cylinder. Add oil and juice. Purée in a food processor or with an immersion blender until smooth. If too thick, add a little more olive oil to thin. Set aside.

• Blanche. Place the water and sugar in a saucepan over a medium-high heat. Bring to a bowl. Thinly slice a raw candy beet (or red beet) using a chef’s knife or mandoline. Blanche in water for 1-2 minutes. Remove and place on a plate lined with a paper towel.

• Assemble.  Place 4-5 red beet slices on a plate.  Use a spoon to spread a layer of purée on top. Add a layer of 4-5 sliced golden beets. Spoon a layer of diced beet mixture on top.  Add a blanched beet slice as a garnish.  Repeat the process for the remaining Napoleons until the ingredients are used.