Beet Salad with Candied Marcona Almonds

• Recipe by Steve Corry

Steve Corry loves to toss roasted beets with the complex sherry vinegar that Taylor Griffin imports from Spain. To help mellow the vinegar’s tang, Corry reduces tangerine juice to a syrup and adds it to the dressing. Inspired by peanut brittle, he candies marcona almonds to give the salad crunch. The nuts are fantastic on their own.

Ingredients

1. 2 1/2 pounds medium red or golden beets, scrubbed and trimmed
2. 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3. 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
4. 2 tablespoons sugar
5. 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
6. Salt
7. Pinch of cayenne pepper
8. 1 cup marcona almonds
9. 1/2 cup fresh tangerine juice
10. 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
11. 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
12. 1 tablespoon minced shallots
13. 1 small head of frisée (4 ounces), torn into bite-size pieces
14. Young pecorino cheese

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. In a large baking dish, toss the beets with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Cover with foil and bake for 1 1/2 hours, or until tender. When cool enough to handle, peel the beets and cut them into 1/2-inch wedges.
2. Meanwhile, line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly butter the paper. In a medium saucepan, combine the 1 tablespoon of butter with the sugar, corn syrup and a pinch each of salt and cayenne and bring to a boil, stirring, to dissolve the sugar. Add the almonds and stir until evenly coated with the syrup. Scrape the almonds onto the parchment-lined baking sheet in an even layer. Bake with the beets for about 12 minutes, until golden and bubbling. Let the nuts cool for about 25 minutes, then break into small clusters.
3. In a small saucepan, simmer the tangerine juice over moderate heat until reduced to 2 tablespoons, about 15 minutes. Let cool, then transfer to a large bowl. Whisk in the vinegar, mustard and shallots. Gradually whisk in the remaining 1/2 cup of olive oil and season the dressing with salt. Add the beets and frisée and toss.
4. Transfer the salad to a platter or bowl. Garnish with the candied almonds, shave the pecorino on top and serve.

Make Ahead

The peeled, roasted beets can be refrigerated overnight. Bring to room temperature before serving. The candied almonds can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.