Roasted Beet Napoleon

For me, beets and goat cheese are one of the best flavor combinations out there. This is the beet napoleon that we are currently serving at the restaurant:

Beet Napoleon, Honey Goat Cheese Mousse, Golden Beet Vierge, Beet Oil and Dust.

First, review this post on How To Roast and Peel Beets.

• Once your beets are roasted and peeled, cut off the root end making it flat.
• Next, slice on the thickest setting on a Japanese Mandoline, to insure nice, even slices.
• Take a ring mold and cut out the center of the beet slice. This is more for visual appeal than anything else. Cutting out the beet with a ring mold will insure that all the beet slices are the same size.

For the Beet Vierge

Review this post on how to make vierge if you’re not familiar with the process. For the golden beet vierge you’ll need:

• 4-5 Oz/110-140g of Roasted Golden Beet Trimmings.
• 1 Oz/28g Rice Wine Vinegar
• 2-3 Oz/55-85g Cold Water
• 1 Clove Raw Garlic
• Pinch of Xanthan Gum (If available)
• 1-1.5 Cups/240-360ml Canola Oil

The Process

1. Combine all ingredients except for the oil in a good blender. Blend on medium speed, until a medium body puree is achieved. Add an extra ounce or two of cold water if the puree is too thick.
2. Although the addition of the Xanthan Gum isn’t necessary, it will make the emulsification process much more forgiving.
3. Slowly start to stream in the Canola Oil, a couple of drops at a time, until the emulsion starts to form.
4. Once the emulsion starts forming, turn the blender speed up to high, and continue streaming in oil until a thick consistency along the lines of coleslaw dressing is achieved. The higher the rotation speed of the blender blade, the tinier the oil droplets will be, and the more stable your emulsion will become.
5. If you have incorporated all of your Canola Oil into your vierge and it’s still not as thick as you would like, you can add in a small amount of Xanthan Gum to bring it to the desired consistency without diluting the flavor with more oil.
6. Finish by seasoning with kosher salt, and then pass through a chinois or a fine strainer to insure a smooth consistency.

For the Beet Oil

• Take the outer trimmings from the roasted red beets, and combine in a blender with canola oil at a 1:2 ratio of beets to oil. Blend on high for about 60 seconds, or until the beets are broken up into a fine particle size.
• Pass through a chinois. I prefer the look of beet particles in the oil, but if you would rather have a thin, evenly colored oil, let the oil sit overnight to infuse color, and then squeeze through a dinner napkin.

For the Beet Dust

• Dehydrate beet scraps in a dehydrator for about 12 hours, or until all their moisture has evaporated. If you do not have a dehydrator, you can bake the beet scraps in a 175 F/80 C oven for about 3-4 hours, or until crisp and dehydrated.
• Take dehydrated beets and grind in a clean coffee grinder until a fine powder is reached. Pass through a tamis if available to insure consistent “dust” granules.

For Goat Cheese Mousse

It is important to note that the word mousse is a very loose interpretation as used here. Classically speaking, a mousse is a light foam that is made “airy” by folding in either whipped cream or egg whites and is stabilized with gelatin. The goat cheese mousse used here is nothing more than Chevre Goat Cheese slightly sweetened with honey and seasoned with salt and pepper. The basic recipe is:

• 8 Oz/227g Goat Cheese
• 2-3 Oz/55-85g Honey
• Salt and Black Pepper To Taste

This is simply a guide line. If you want your goat cheese a little sweeter, add more honey. If you prefer it more on the savory side, then add less honey.

Putting It On The Plate

• Start by spreading one ounce of the vierge in a cirucular motion in the center of the plate with a one ounce laddle.
• Place a little dollop of your goat cheese mousse in the center of the vierge.
• Center two slices of the red beets on top of the goat cheese. It’s important to put this layer on the bottom, so that is does not bleed down onto the other layers of beets.
• Season the beet layer with Fleur de Sel or a good sea salt, top with more goat cheese, and repeat layering process until the napoleon is three layers high.
• Garnish two opposing corners with the beet oil, and the other opposing corners with the beet dust.
• Garnish with a chive and serve.

Tagged as: Culinary School Articles, Recipes, Roast Beets, Salad