This recipe is from the ‘2019 Guide to Local for Southeast to Mid Michigan’
INGREDIENTS:
-2 lb baby beets
-1 large head fennel
-Small bunch cilantro (leaves picked)
-1 Tbsp toasted sesame seed
BEET BRAISE:
-2 juicy oranges
-2 Tbsp mirin (a Japanese rice wine)
-2 Tbsp soy sauce
-2 sprigs fresh thyme
-1.5 inch ginger root, peeled and sliced thinly
-3 cloves garlic, smashed slightly
GINGER-MISO SAUCE:
-1/8 cup lemon juice + 1 tsp lemon peel
-1 Tbsp freshly grated ginger
-1 clove of garlic, minced
-2 Tbsp yellow miso paste
-2 Tbsp tahini
-1 Tbsp honey
-2 tsp soy sauce
-1 tsp salt
-1 1/2 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Select and wash a 2 lb mixture of baby golden and/or red beets. Remove tops and reserve for another use.
Place beets in a roasting pan with juice from the oranges and all the other braise ingredients. The liquid should cover all but the top 1/3 of the beets, so choose a roasting pan small enough to allow this. Cover the pan with foil and roast beets for 30-50 minutes checking for tenderness with a fork. Once tender, remove from oven. Allow to cool until you can handle the beets and use your hands or a kitchen rag to rub off the beet skin.
Make sauce while the beets cook: place all ingredients in a blender or blend with an immersion wand. Add the soy sauce one teaspoon at a time—depending on how salty it is, you may want to add more or less.
AFTER BEETS & SAUCE ARE COMPLETE:
Core the head of fennel and cut into thick wedges. Heat a 10 inch cast iron pan to medium high with 2 Tbsp grapeseed oil. Once hot, add fennel, sprinkle with salt and cook without moving until caramelized on one side. Add peeled beets to the pan and allow the pan to return to a medium high temperature. Allow beet to begin to blister slightly, then add the ginger miso sauce to the pan. Toss all the ingredients in the sauce and allow it to cook on high heat until it becomes aromatic and slightly thickened (1-3 minutes). Remove the pan from the flame. Crack black pepper over the beets and fennel.
Serve warm on its own, over a salad of arugula and spinach, or perhaps with quinoa and baked tofu. Garnish with cilantro and toasted sesame seeds.
ALISON HEERES, Coriander Farm and Kitchen in Detroit