Vegetables Root Vegetables Beet Beet Aguachile 4.0 (1) 1 Review Chef Claudette Zepeda loves to experiment with different ingredients in her aguachiles, while still showcasing the dish's fundamental flavors of salt, acid, heat, and a little bit of sugar. For this gorgeous beet aguachile (which the chef nicknames "Vampiro" aguachile, for its deep purple-red color and for its inclusion of black garlic), Zepeda makes a bright, spicy broth out of beet juice. The unique, funky flavor from the black garlic and sweetness from the orange juice help balance the acidity of the lime juice. The beets and the broth can both be made a day ahead, making assembly a snap. By Claudette Zepeda Claudette Zepeda Claudette Zepeda is an award-winning Mexican-American chef from San Diego known for her bold culinary style. She was the executive chef and creative force behind the critically acclaimed regional Mexican restaurant, El Jardin. Claudette competed on Top Chef Mexico Season 2 and Top Chef Season 15.Experience: Claudette Zepeda's distinctive culinary style was born out of a life lived on the border of two worlds and two food traditions, Tijuana and San Diego. She first came into prominence working under celebrated chef/restauranteur Javier Plascencia, a master of Baja Mediterranean cuisine and a native of Tijuana. Claudette describes her time at his restaurant, Bracero Cocina de Raiz, as attending "Caesar Academy" and that "it was a practice of discipline and perfection."When she partnered with Johan Engman's Rise & Shine Restaurant Group to open the upscale El Jardin Cantina in 2018, Claudette put her stamp on regional Mexican cooking. She designed a menu that paid homage to the women in her family who taught her how to cook and the ones she's met through her travels who keep Mexico's culinary traditions alive. Esquire named El Jardin one of the best new restaurants of 2018. In 2019, it was included on the Michelin Guide's Bib Gourmand list.Claudette's work has also been featured in The New York Times, Bon Appetit, Forbes, Thrillist, Munchies, and San Diego Magazine, among others. She parted ways with El Jardin in 2019 and became the consulting executive chef of VAGA at Alila Marea Beach Resort Encinitas in 2020. In addition to appearances on shows like Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend, Claudette devotes her time to helping women break out of generational poverty. She founded Viva La Vida in 2019, establishing micro-businesses with single mothers throughout Mexico so they can support their families by exporting their heirloom ingredients to the U.S. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Published on June 14, 2022 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen Active Time: 30 mins Total Time: 2 hrs 20 mins Servings: 4 Ingredients 8 small red and orange beets (about 1 pound), scrubbed 2 cups kosher salt ¾ cup olive oil ½ cup store-bought beet juice ⅓ cup fresh lime juice (from 2 medium limes) 2 medium bunches fresh cilantro (about 2 ounces each), divided 1 medium (2-ounce) shallot, roughly chopped (about 1/3 cup) ¼ cup rice vinegar 1 tablespoon grated orange zest plus 1/3 cup fresh orange juice (from 1 orange) 1 small serrano chile (about 1/2 ounce), seeded (if desired) and roughly chopped (about 1 tablespoon) 3 medium garlic cloves, roughly chopped (about 2 teaspoons) 4 dried chiltepin or pequin chiles (unseeded), crushed 3 medium-size black garlic cloves, roughly chopped (optional) ½ teaspoon fine sea salt 6 small radishes (about 3 ounces), thinly sliced (about 1/16 inch thick) on a mandoline 2 small Persian cucumbers (about 5 ounces), thinly diagonally sliced (about 1/16 to 1/8 inch thick) ½ cup thinly sliced red onion (from 1 small [5-ounce] onion) 8 (6-inch) tostada shells Directions Preheat oven to 400°F. Place beets in a rimmed baking dish; cover with kosher salt. Roast in preheated oven until beets are tender when poked with a skewer, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from oven; let cool slightly, about 20 minutes. Uncover beets; using a paring knife or a paper towel, remove and discard skin. Cover beets; refrigerate until ready to use or up to 2 days. While beets cook, combine oil, beet juice, lime juice, 1 cilantro bunch, shallot, vinegar, orange zest and juice, serrano chile, garlic, crushed chiltepin chiles, black garlic (if desired), and fine sea salt in a blender. Process until smooth, about 1 minute. Let stand, covered, in refrigerator 1 hour to allow flavors to meld. Pour through a fine wire-mesh strainer into a bowl, pressing on solids to extract all liquid; discard solids. Cover and refrigerate until completely chilled, at least 1 hour or up to 12 hours. Remove beets from refrigerator. Cut lengthwise into quarters or sixths. Remove leaves from remaining cilantro bunch; discard stems. Ladle chilled beet broth onto a large plate, or ladle evenly into 4 shallow bowls. Arrange beet slices evenly among bowls. Top evenly with radishes, cucumbers, onion, and cilantro leaves. Serve with tostada shells. Make Ahead Beets can be prepared through step 1 up to 2 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in refrigerator. Note Black garlic is fermented garlic that adds an earthy, sweet, umami punch to dishes and is available at nuts.com. Chiltepin or pequin chiles can be found at Latin groceries and mexgrocer.com. Suggested Pairing Earthy, skin-contact orange wine: COS Ramí Rate it Print