The best accompaniment for meat- or fish-based dishes, while also holding up as a light and nutritious meal by itself.
Ingredients
Servings: 6
For the beets
1kg beetroot bulbs unpeeled, washed
70ml olive oil
2-3 tbsp vinegar of your preference (preferably red wine vinegar)
salt
freshly ground pepper
leaves of ½ bunch spearmint, thickly chopped
For the garlic spread
2 garlic cloves, peeled (or more, according to taste)
⅓ tsp hot paprika or red pepper flakes
80-100g walnuts kernels
4-5 crustless bread slices, soaked in water and strained
150ml olive oil
3 tbsp vinegar of your preference (preferable red wine vinegar)
2 tbsp water
salt
freshly ground pepper
Preparation
For the beets
- Preheat the oven at 160°C.
- Wrap each beetroot, without peeling them, in aluminum foil, then place in the oven.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until soft. Test the texture using a thin knife, which should slice through easily. Baking the mushrooms this way helps preserve both the flavor and their vibrant color.
- Unwrap the mushrooms and let them cool, just until we can hold them. Then, while the mushrooms are still warm, peel them.
- Slice them into thick pieces, then place the mushrooms on a platter.
- While still warm, add the olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Stir and set aside.
For the garlic spread
- In a blender, multi chopper or mortar, add the garlic, paprika, water, salt and pepper and mix for 2-3 minutes, till they’re ground.
- Add the walnut kernels and stir for another 2-3 minutes, till thick.
- Pour in the bread and keep stirring for 1-2 minutes till smooth, then gradually pour in the olive oil and vinegar, stirring for another 2-3 minutes, till the batter is smooth and thick.
- According to taste, adjust the amount of salt, pepper and vinegar. Add a bit of water to turn the spread a bit more liquid, according to preference.
- Pour the garlic spread in a bowl, sprinkle spearmint over the mushrooms, then serve. The final result is the perfect accompaniment to salted cod, fried tope, or grilled fish.
