beetroot poached in red wine

I am still talking veggies and the most wonderful experienced I had at Alain Passard’s restaurant in Paris – L’Aparge. As I mentioned in a previous cabbage post what I took away from the day was to make your vegetables the stars of a meal - look at them, smell them, see their beauty, see their perfection and cook them in such a way as to bring out their natural flavours.

I took my little black book with and my camera to make sure I had a permanent memory of the food. But the flavours – how am I going to remember them? how was I ever going to relate them? – well the only way is to take what I have tasted and try to implement it in my kitchen and give it my own little twist.

One of the dished served to us at Passard’s little restaurant was beetroot – OMG, the flavours! When you tasted the beetroot it was the same flavours you would find in gluwein– you know, the red wine, the cinnamon etc. It was so complimenting of the beetroot that I decided to poach my red veged beauties in a bit of red wine, black pepper corns, star anise and some orange peel.

Well, it turned out fantastic and so absolutely delicious. The spices compliment the earthyness of the beetroot transforming this root into something so special. After you had a bite the tastes kind of linger in your mouth and you don’t know if you are in winter or in summer. I served the baby beats cold and added some non-flavoured cream cheese, some micro leaves and a drop of balsamic glaze on each beetroot.

Please try this the next time – it really is special and something rather completely different.

 

Done