Equipment
Ingredients
Pickled Beetroot Roses
- 500 g beetroot, peeled
- 250 ml apple cider vinegar
- 250 ml water
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 10 g salt
- 2 g coriander seeds, lightly crushed
Shortcrust Pastry
- 250 g all-purpose flour
- 125 g unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 30 ml ice water
- 3 g salt
Ricotta Filling
- 300 g whole milk ricotta, drained of excess moisture
- 100 g fresh goat cheese, softened
- 1 egg
- 5 g lemon zest
- 2 g fresh thyme, leaves only
- 3 g salt
- 1 g black pepper, freshly ground
Blood Orange Dressing
- 50 ml blood orange juice, freshly squeezed
- 40 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 10 g honey
- 5 g dijon mustard
Garnish
- 30 g shelled pistachios, toasted and roughly chopped
- 20 g dukkah
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
In a medium saucepan, combine the apple cider vinegar, water, granulated sugar, salt, and coriander seeds. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
Using a mandoline slicer, carefully slice the peeled beetroot into paper-thin rounds, approximately 1 millimeter thick. Place the slices into a heatproof mixing bowl.
Pour the warm pickling liquid over the beetroot slices. Ensure they are fully submerged. Let them marinate at room temperature for at least 30 minutes to soften, which is essential for rolling them into roses later.
While the beetroot marinates, prepare the shortcrust pastry. In a mixing bowl, rub the cold cubed butter into the flour and salt until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add the lightly beaten egg and ice water, mixing gently until the dough just comes together.
Form the dough into a disc, wrap it tightly, and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to relax the gluten and firm up the butter.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Roll out the chilled dough with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface to a 3-millimeter thickness. Transfer the dough into a tart pan with a removable bottom, pressing it gently into the corners. Trim the excess edges and prick the base all over with a fork.
Line the pastry shell with parchment paper and fill it with pastry weights. Blind bake for 15 minutes. Carefully remove the parchment and weights, then bake for an additional 5 minutes until the base is pale golden and dry. Remove from the oven and lower the temperature to 160°C/320°F.
In a clean mixing bowl, use a whisk to vigorously beat the ricotta, softened goat cheese, egg, lemon zest, fresh thyme, salt, and black pepper until perfectly smooth and airy.
Spread the ricotta filling evenly into the blind-baked tart shell. Drain the beetroot slices. To form the roses, overlap 5 to 6 slices in a straight line, then roll them up from one end. Nestle each completed rose gently into the ricotta filling, repeating until the entire surface is covered in blooming beetroot roses.
Return the assembled tart to the oven at 160°C/320°F and bake for 25 minutes, or until the ricotta filling is set and slightly puffed.
While the tart is baking, make the dressing. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the blood orange juice, extra virgin olive oil, honey, and dijon mustard until fully emulsified.
Allow the baked tart to cool in the pan for 15 minutes before removing the outer ring. Drizzle the warm tart with the blood orange dressing and garnish generously with toasted pistachios and dukkah.
Chef's Notes
- Whipping the ricotta with a touch of goat cheese provides a necessary lactic tang that perfectly cuts through the earthy sweetness of the beetroot and the richness of the butter pastry.
- When forming the beetroot roses, tightly roll the central slice first, then wrap subsequent slices around it a little more loosely to mimic natural blooming petals.
- Save the leftover vibrant magenta pickling liquid. It works beautifully in vinaigrettes, as a quick pickle base for hard-boiled eggs, or to naturally dye hummus.
- Do not skip the egg in the ricotta mixture; it acts as a binder that prevents the cheese from weeping into the pastry crust while slicing.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Cover tightly to prevent pastry from softening too quickly.
Reheating: Best served at room temperature, or gently warmed in a 150°C/300°F oven for 10 minutes to re-crisp the base.
