Food & Beverage Intl. - John Fraser's Rotisserie Crisped Beets at Narcissa

RECIPE

John Fraser's Rotisserie Crisped Beets at Narcissa
By FBWorld Team

"If you told me five years ago that I would be cooking this way, I would not have believed you," says chef John Fraser. He is referring to the low and slow cooking technique he is using at Narcissa, rather than the à la minute style he was trained in. After using Bonnet and Rotisol rotisserie ovens years ago, the chef was inspired to draft a menu specifically centered around low and slow cooking, even though he didn't have any concrete plans for a new restaurant at the time. The partnership with Andre Balazs in The Standard Hotel proved to be the perfect opportunity, and Fraser installed two rotisseries in Narcissa and proceeded to cook every imaginable vegetable in them. He was particularly happy with the way the beets came out and added them to the menu. It has become the most popular appetizer, selling an average of 40 portions per night.

The beets are slow-roasted for up to five hours. Rather than being completely soft like a cooked beet, or firm like a pickled one, the rotisserie allows Fraser to develop a distinct textural contrast between the dense crust and pulpy interior in his beets. This gives the vegetables added dimension and is somewhat evocative of the contrasts that exist in roasted meats. The use of horseradish in the dish, a popular addition to roast beef, is further evocative of this, although Fraser adds pickled cucumbers, slivers of golden baby beets, and sprigs of dill to brighten the palate.
Here's how Fraser cooks his beets:

The beets, like much of the produce at Narcissa, come from Locusts on Hudson, the farm owned by hotelier/restaurateur André Balazs. They receive a thorough scrubbing before they are placed in a large basket.

The basket attaches to the Rotisol rotisserie.
The beets cook for around five hours.

During the cooking process, the beets are basted with orange oil. Fraser uses thyme as a brush.

After five or so hours, the beets are finished and allowed to cool to room temperature. They are never refrigerated.

The beets are served with a bulgur salad made of bulgur wheat, cucumber, Granny Smith apples, and white wine vinegar.
They are also dressed with pickled cucumber cores, golden baby beets, and a horseradish cream.

Fraser uses a marrow scoop to core cucumbers. The core is slivered and pickled, while the rest is diced and tossed into the bulgur salad.

Mixing the bulgur salad.

Fraser isn't afraid to admit that he couldn't concoct a superior substitute to Gold's for use in the creamed horseradish upon which the beets are served. The chef notes: "I tried using fresh horseradish, juicing it, pickling it....nothing was better than Gold's. It needs to be considered an ingredient in and of itself."