Sous vide is great at tenderizing beets without turning them mushy. This salad uses the bitter frisee and sweet Mandarin oranges to complement the beets with a blue cheese crumble for added depth of flavor. Beets are usually tender after 60 to 90 minutes, depending on how thick they are cut.
Also, if you are just getting started experimenting with molecular gastronomy and modernist cuisine then I highly recommend one of these molecular gastronomy kits. They have everything you need to do many different dishes.
Preheat the water bath to 183°F (83.9°C).
Peel the beets and cut them into bite-sized chunks then place them in a sous vide bag, trying to keep the thickness of the bag less than 1" (25mm) for even cooking. Zest the orange into the sous vide bag then salt and pepper the beets. Add the honey and butter and seal. Cook the beets for around 60 to 90 minutes. Once tender, remove the beets from the sous vide bag.
Place some frisee on a plate and add Mandarin oranges and cooked beets to it. Top with some blue cheese, pecans and tarragon. Drizzle with olive oil then salt and pepper the salad.
This article is by me, Jason Logsdon. I'm a passionate home cook who loves to try new things, especially when it comes to cooking. I've explored everything from sous vide and whipping siphons to pressure cookers and blow torches; created foams, gels and spheres; made barrel aged cocktails and brewed beer. I have also written 10 cookbooks on modernist cooking and sous vide and I run the AmazingFoodMadeEasy.com website.
My FREE email course will help you make perfect meats, master searing, and discover the sous vide times and temperatures you need to make everyday food amazing...and impress your friends and family.
Ingredients: