Smoked and Pickled Beet Salad

Pink Chicories, Persimmons, Pink Mole, Smoked Beet Vinaigrette, Puffed Rice

Chefs Elizabeth Heitner and Nestor Silva of Malli | Los Angeles

---

Adapted by StarChefs | february 2024

INGREDIENTS

Beets:
11 red beets, greens removed and reserved
Olive oil
4 grams kosher salt
500 milliliters red wine vinegar
300 grams granulated sugar

Smoked Beet Vinaigrette:
50 milliliters rice vinegar
150 milliliters olive oil
Kosher salt
Granulated sugar

Pink Mole:
25 grams dried hibiscus, leaves reserved separately
40 grams grapeseed oil
50 grams diced yellow onion
1 clove garlic
25 grams diced red potato
25 grams red sauerkraut
1 gram toasted cinnamon stick
1 gram toasted cumin seed
1 gram toasted caraway seed
25 grams toasted pine nut
25 grams toasted pepita
12 grams toasted sesame seed
1 guajillo chile, seeded, stems removed, and toasted
1 morita chile, seeded, stems removed, and toasted
Kosher salt
Granulated sugar

Puffed Rice:
150 grams dry wild rice
1.5 liters grapeseed oil
Kosher salt

To Assemble and Serve:
2 pink chicories, halved
Lemon juice
Kosher salt
2 fuyū persimmons, peeled and diced

METHOD

For the Beets:
Heat oven to 300°F. Place beets on a half hotel pan. Liberally season with oil and salt. Add 2 cups water, then cover the pan with plastic wrap followed by a layer of aluminum foil. Bake 1 hour, or until beets are fork tender. Remove from oven and let cool. Once cool enough to handle, remove skin. Set 1 beet aside and reserve. Heat a smoker with white oak wood chips to 250°F. Transfer remaining beets to a wire rack and smoke 4 hours. Let cool. Heat a dehydrator to 125°F. Transfer smoked beets to dehydrator and let dry overnight. The next day, bring vinegar, sugar, a pinch of salt, and 500 milliliters water to a boil. Remove from heat and set aside. Using gloved hands, massage beets, carefully squeezing them. Transfer to a nonreactive container. Submerge in pickling liquid, reserving remaining liquid separately. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

For the Smoked Beet Vinaigrette:
In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients with 100 milliliters reserved beet pickling liquid. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and sugar. Set aside.

For the Pink Mole:
In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, bring 250 milliliters water to a boil. Add hibiscus and remove from heat. Let steep 15 minutes. Strain, reserving liquid and solids separately. In a saucepan over medium flame, heat oil. Add onion, garlic, and potato. Sauté until softened and alliums begin to brown. Add sauerkraut and cook additional 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Add spices, seeds, and chiles. Cover with hibiscus tea and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and let simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer mixture to a Vitamix blender. Add reserved roasted beet and 2 teaspoons reserved hibiscus leaves. Purée on high speed until smooth. Season with salt and sugar. Reserve.

For the Puffed Rice:
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high flame, heat oil to 400°F. Working in batches, add rice and fry until puffed. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and let drain. Season with salt and reserve.

To Assemble and Serve:
In a large mixing bowl, dress chicories in Smoked Beet Vinaigrette until evenly coated. Season with lemon juice and salt. Set aside. On a work surface, quarter 10 Beets, then transfer to a separate mixing bowl. Add permissions and toss with Smoked Beet Vinaigrette. Set aside. On a serving plate, spread 4 spoonfuls Pink Mole. Top with dressed Beets, followed by 1 cup Puffed Rice, and dressed chicories.

---