Beets and Tangerines with Mint and Orange-Flower Water
- 3 bunches small to medium beets
- 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 pounds tangerines (6 large tangerines or 8 smaller ones; larger ones are easier to work with)
- 2 tablespoons finely diced shallot
- 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- A few drops orange-flower water (see Sources)
- 12 mint leaves, sliced thinly on the diagonal
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
- Preheat the oven to 400F.
- Cut the greens off the beets, leaving about 1/2 inch of the stems still attached.
- (Save the leaves for sauteing laterthey are delicious!)
- Clean the beets well, and toss them with 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 teaspoon salt.
- Place the beets in a roasting pan with a splash of water in the bottom.
- Cover tightly with foil, and roast about 40 minutes, until tender when pierced.
- (The roasting time will depend on the size and type of beet.)
- When the beets are done, carefully remove the foil.
- Let them cool, and then peel them by slipping off the skins with your fingers.
- Cut them into 1/2-inch wedges.
- Slice the stem and bottom ends from the tangerines.
- Stand the tangerines on one end and, following the contour of the fruit with your knife, remove the peel and cottony white pith.
- Work from top to bottom, rotating the fruit as you go.
- Then hold each tangerine over a bowl and carefully slice between the membranes and the fruit to release the segments in between.
- Discard the seeds and reserve the juice.
- Combine the diced shallot, vinegar, lemon juice, 1/4 cup tangerine juice (from segmenting the citrus), and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a small bowl, and let sit 5 minutes.
- Whisk in the remaining 1/2 cup olive oil, and a drop or two of orange-flower water (be careful, it can be overpowering; a little goes a long way).
- Taste for balance and seasoning.
- Toss the beets in a bowl with half the vinaigrette and a sprinkling of salt and pepper.
- Taste for seasoning.
- Arrange half the beets on a large chilled platter, and place half the tangerines among the beets.
- Scatter half the mint over the salad.
- Follow with the rest of the beets, tangerines, and mint.
- Sprinkle a few drops of orange-flower water over the salad.
beets, extravirgin olive oil, tangerines, shallot, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, orangeflower, mint, kosher salt
Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/beets-and-tangerines-with-mint-and-orange-flower-water-390991 (may not work)