Pickled And Roasted Beets Recipe

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Trim beet greens, leaving about 1/2 inch stem. Wrap each beet loosely in foil and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast until tender when pierced with a knife, 45–60 minutes depending on size. Let cool until you can handle them, then slip off skins (use a towel or rub with fingers) and cut into halves or quarters so pieces are roughly 1–1.5 inches.

Combine water, apple cider vinegar, sugar, kosher salt, peppercorns, bay leaf, and thyme in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until sugar and salt dissolve. Remove from heat.

Place the warm roasted beet pieces into a clean jar or heatproof bowl. Pour the hot pickling liquid over the beets so they are fully submerged. Allow to cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours, preferably overnight, to develop flavor. Keep refrigerated up to 1 week.

When ready to serve, remove pickled beets from the brine and pat lightly with paper towels to remove excess moisture. Toss the beets with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.

Spread the beets on a parchment-lined baking sheet and roast at 425°F (220°C) for 10–15 minutes until edges caramelize lightly and beets are warmed through. Alternatively, sear in a hot skillet 3–4 minutes per side. Remove from oven/skillet and let rest a few minutes.

Make Cashew Tahini

Combine soaked and drained cashews, tahini, lemon juice, warm water, minced garlic, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1 teaspoon neutral oil in a high-speed blender or food processor. Blend until very smooth, scraping down sides as needed. If too thick, add up to 1–2 tablespoons more warm water to reach a drizzling consistency similar to heavy cream. Taste and adjust salt or lemon.

Roughly chop smoked cashews and reserve for garnish.

Make lemon oil: in a small bowl whisk together 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Let sit 5 minutes so flavors meld.

In a large bowl toss frisée with half of the lemon oil to lightly dress (reserve remaining oil for finishing). Arrange dressed frisée on a serving platter or individual plates.

Distribute roasted pickled beet pieces over the frisée. Scatter thin apple slices over the salad.

Drizzle cashew tahini over the beets and frisée in a few ribbons. Spoon any remaining tahini into the center for dipping if desired.

Sprinkle chopped smoked cashews over the salad for crunch. Finish with the remaining lemon oil drizzled in a thin stream and a final crack of black pepper. Serve immediately.