Beets with orange and almonds
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Great dishes may be served in fancy restaurants, but often they have the humblest of origins. French chef Roger Verge is known for his Michelin-starred restaurant Le Moulin de Mougins near Cannes, but he dedicated his 1992 book, “Roger Verge’s Vegetables,” to his father “an amateur gardener, but a caring one.” This beet dish, which comes from that book, is the soul of simplicity and so universal that a very similar version (minus chervil, almonds and a certain finesse) can be found in a vintage American cookbook called “The Best From Midwest Kitchens” by Ada B. Lothe, Breta L. Griem and Ethel M. Keating.
The dish could be served as a side dish to meat; it would certainly raise the tone at Thanksgiving. But it is so exquisite, so vibrant and delicious, that it deserves to be served as a starter in its own right.
Heat the oven to 375 degrees.
Trim the leaves off the beets, leaving about an inch of stem. Set the beets in a roasting pan. Bake until the skins are crinkled and loose and a sweet beety smell permeates the kitchen. Medium-sized beets should take about 1 1/2 to 2 hours, small ones about 1 1/2 hours.
Peel the beets and cut into 3/8-inch cubes. Place the orange juice, orange zest, beets and butter in a shallow saucepan or a skillet. Cook over low to medium heat for 15 minutes--stirring occasionally--then raise the heat to high to reduce the cooking liquid, about 2 minutes. The beets should be coated with an orange glaze. Taste. Salt if necessary, and add plenty of freshly ground pepper. Turn into a warm serving dish and top with the almonds. Squeeze the orange half over the cooked beets and garnish with the chervil. Serve immediately.
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