Golden Beets

Mole Amarillo, Chapulín Vinaigrette, Goat Milk Feta, Marcona Almonds, Radish

Chef Jonathan Zaragoza of Birrieria Zaragoza | Chicago
Yield: 8 servings

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Adapted by StarChefs | October 2018

INGREDIENTS

Avocado Leaf Tea:
8 grams dried avocado leaves

Mole:
63 grams unpeeled garlic cloves
50 grams olive oil
115 grams small diced white onion
20 grams ancho chiles, seeded, stemmed, and coarsely chopped
50 grams marcona almonds, coarsely chopped
1 gram cumin seeds
240 grams golden beets, roasted until tender, coarsely chopped
15 grams Mexican chocolate, coarsely chopped
10 grams salt
7 grams fresh masa
Sugar

Chapulín Vinaigrette:
500 grams olive oil
110 grams garlic cloves, peeled
130 grams chapulínes
450 grams cider vinegar
6 grams finely chopped thyme
3 grams finely chopped oregano
6 grams salt, plus additional as needed
9 grams sugar, plus additional as needed
230 grams canola oil

Golden Beets:
1 kilogram golden beets
Olive oil
Salt
20 grams orange zest (peeled with vegetable peeler)
500 grams orange juice
10 grams oregano leaves

To Assemble and Serve:
Goat milk feta
Coarsely chopped roasted marcona almonds
Fennel fronds
Thinly sliced fermented radish
Finely julienned candy cane beets

METHOD

For the Avocado Leaf Tea:
Place avocado leaves in a nonreative container. Bring 500 grams water to a boil and pour over leaves. Steep 10 minutes and strain into a saucepan. Reduce by half

For the Mole:
In a dry skillet over medium-low heat, toast garlic until lightly blackened and super tender; cool and peel. Wipe out skillet, return to heat, and add oil. When shimmering, add onion. When onions start to turn golden, add ancho chiles, almonds, and cumin. Cook until almonds start to color and onions are golden. Add 300 grams water and cook at a low simmer until chiles are soft. Remove from heat and cool 15 minutes. Transfer to a Vitamix blender with beets and 200 grams water; purée. Pour into a pot and simmer while stirring. Add chocolate, salt, masa, and 250 grams Avocado Leaf Tea, whisking to combine. Return mixture to Vitamix and purée, eliminating any lumps of masa. Sean with salt and sugar. Reserve warm.

For the Chapulín Vinaigrette:
In a pan over low flame, heat 150 grams oil and add garlic. When garlic is golden, add grasshoppers. When garlic is very soft, transfer mixture to a Vitamix blender with vinegar, herbs, salt, and sugar; purée. In a large measuring cup, combine remaining oils. Slowly drizzle into Vitamix. When emulsified, taste and season with salt and sugar.   

For the Golden Beets:
Heat oven to 325°F. In a hotel pan, shallowly poke beets all over with the tines of a fork. Coat beets with oil, season with salt, and add remaining ingredients, plus 200 grams water, to pan. Cover securely with foil and cook in oven for 1 hour, until beets are tender. Working quickly, peel beets, cut into bite-size pieces, transfer to a bowl with Chapulín Vinaigrette, and toss to combine. Reserve warm.

To Assemble and Serve:
On a plate, spread some Mole. Arrange a few pieces Golden Beets on top. Garnish with feta, almonds, fronds, radish, and candy cane beets.  

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