red beet pkhali / pkhali di barbabietole rosse

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[versione in italiano]

ready to spoon some?
(placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)

Our current Cook the Books Club selection is the novel The Kitchen Front by Jennifer Ryan¹ which tells the story of four women in Kent, UK, during WWII. The food rations in effect at that time play a central role: they affected everyone and cooks in particular, tasked as they were to prepare nourishing and tasty meals with what the rations provided. (Vegetable gardens and foraging enriched the limited availability of ingredients.)

The novel's title refers to a BBC program devised to provide ideas on how best to make use of those rations. The four women compete to become the program's co-lead by cooking a starter, a main dish and a dessert that showcase what's possible within the confines of the wartime pantry.

The book includes the competition recipes and a few others. It is interesting to read the alternatives people devised for ingredients that were in short supply, like sugar. The one surprise in the story is the croquembouche Zelda (the chef among the four women) brings as her entry for the dessert part of the competition.

Red beets are mentioned several times in the book using their British name, beetroots. Audrey grows them in her garden and they are featured in a couple of the recipes provided in the book. I don't grow them, but like to get them at the farmers market, particularly when they are sold with their greens, which are delicious in their own right.

I last featured red beets in a salad² inspired by Finnish rosolli. This time, for inspiration I turned to Please to the Table: The Russian Cookbook by Anya von Bremzen³ and John Welchman. The book includes recipes from a large area, from the Baltics to Uzbekistan. In the Zakuski section (appetizers, antipasti), I read about Georgian pkhali, a dish made from a finely chopped cooked vegetable (like spinach, eggplants, beets) with a dressing of ground walnuts (noci tritate), garlic, vinegar, spices and herbs. I decided to make Beet Pkhali.

I halved the recipe and adjusted a couple of other things, most notably 1) I toasted the walnuts; 2) used parsley instead of cilantro; 3) used sherry vinegar since I couldn't find tarragon vinegar.

The headnote says that pkhali must be made "at least 6 to 8 hours ahead for the flavor of the garlic to settle properly" (page  25). The result? Oh my! The vinegar and spices balance out the distinctive sweetness of red beets and the walnuts provide a light body to the soft texture of cooked beets. Pkhali is served as a pâté but I've also read it defined as a spreadable salad. It is a bit addictive: you taste a small spoonful, spread some on a cracker, drop a dollop on green salad, and before you know it, it's gone.

The second time I made the recipe I measured the ingredients more precisely, then the next time I adjusted some more. Below is my current version and further down there is a link to the recipe that inspired me.

Print-friendly version of briciole's recipe for Red beet pkhali

Ingredients:

• 2 red beets to obtain 6 ounces / 170 grams when cooked and peeled (see Note below)

For the walnut sauce:

• 1 1/2 ounces / 42 grams walnuts, preferably freshly shelled
• 2 small garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon minced red spring onion
• 1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
• 1/8 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1/8 teaspoon ground fenugreek
• A small pinch of cayenne pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 1/2 tablespoons / 22.5 ml water
• 3/4 tablespoon / 11.25 ml sherry vinegar

For the pkhali:

• The roasted red beets from above
• The walnut sauce from above
• 1/2 tablespoon / 7.5 ml sherry vinegar
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
• Fine sea salt, if needed, to taste

Note: If possible, purchase red beets with their greens. Cut off the greens about 1 inch / 2.5 cm from the root and consume them as soon as possible like you would other types of dark leafy greens. (You can also use them, together with spinach, to make Spinach Pkhali) For efficiency's sake, I recommend that you roast more beets than you need for the recipe and add the extra ones to a soup or salad.

Heat the oven to 375 F / 190 C.

Scrub the red beets well. Wrap each beet in foil and place them on a baking sheet. Put the beets in the oven and roast them until easily pierced with a blade. Check after 45-60 minutes (depending on the beets' size) and gauge the cooking time remaining.

Let the red beets cool until easy to handle, then slip off the skin. Weigh the amount you need for the recipe. Cut the beets in bite-sized pieces and set them aside.

To make the walnut sauce
Heat the oven to 350 F / 170 C.

Distribute the walnuts on an unlined baking sheet or cookie sheet and place in the oven. Roast the walnuts for a few minutes until they smell fragrant. Remove them from the sheet and let them cool.

Ground the walnuts in a food processor. Place the ground walnuts in a bowl and add all the other sauce ingredients. Mix well and set aside.

To make the pkhali
Process the roasted red beets until coarsely minced. Add to the bowl with the walnut sauce. Mix well.

Add the other pkhali ingredients and mix well. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (6 to 8 is better).

Take out of the refrigerator the pkhali ahead of time, spread it on a serving plate and smooth the top with a spatula. (I shaped it more like a low mound.) With a knife, make a pattern of diamonds on the top.

Serve at room temperature.

Serves 4 as an appetizer.

A colorful, delightful way of serving this nutritious root vegetable.

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¹ The book's page on the publisher's website
² From briciole's archive: Red beet, carrot, apple and egg salad
³ Cook the Books club read von Bremzen's memoir some years ago, and, inspired by the book, I made Mushroom and egg salad
⁴ Section on pkhali in Please to the Table: The Russian Cookbook by Anya von Bremzen and John Welchman

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Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post:

pkhali di barbabietola rosse

or launch the pkhali di barbabietola rosse audio file [mp3].

[Depending on your set-up, the audio file will be played within the browser or by your mp3 player application. Please, contact me if you encounter any problems.]

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This is my contribution to the current selection of our Cook the Books hosted by Claudia of Honey From Rock. (You can find the guidelines for participating in the event on this page.)

The roundup of the event. 

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FTC disclosure: I have received the table linen free of charge from the manufacturer (la FABBRICA del LINO). I have not and will not receive any monetary compensation for presenting it on my blog. The experience shared and the opinions expressed in this post are entirely my own.

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red beets, walnuts, salad, spread, Georgian cuisine

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pkhali di barbabietole rosse

pronti all'assaggio?
(tovaglietta di La FABBRICA del LINO)

Le barbabietole rosse sono una delle verdure che amo comprare al mercato dei produttori, soprattutto quando hanno ancora le foglie attaccate (come nella foto in basso), che sono una delizia.

In un post dell'anno scorso le ho presentate in un'insalata ispirata al rosolli, piatto tipico finlandese. Stavolta l'ispirazione me l'ha data il libro Please to the Table: The Russian Cookbook di Anya von Bremzen³ e John Welchman. Il tomo racchiude 400 ricette provenienti dall'area che va dalle repubbliche baltiche all'Uzbekistan. Nella sezione Zakuski (antipasti), ho trovato il pkhali, piatto tipico della Georgia composto da una verdura cotta e tagliata finemente (come spinaci, melanzane, barbabietole) condita con una salsa di noci tritate, aglio, aceto e spezie. Ho deciso di provare a fare il pkhali di barbabietole rosse.

Ho dimezzato le dosi e ho cambiato dei dettagli: 1) ho tostato le noci; 2) ho utilizzato il prezzemolo invece del coriandolo fresco (che negli USA si chiama cilantro); 3) ho utilizzato l'aceto di sherry perché non ho trovato quello al dragoncello. 

La ricetta nota che il pkhali deve essere preparato "almeno 6-8 ore in anticipo in modo che il sapore dell'aglio si assesti" (page  25). Il risultato è eccellente. Aceto e spezie bilanciano il sapore dolce delle barbabietole e le noci danno una leggera corposità alla consistenza morbida delle barbabietole cotte. Pkhali viene servito come pâté ma ho anche letto una definizione di insalata spalmabile. Ne assaggi un cucchiaino, ne spalmi un po' su un cracker, ne aggiungi un cucchiaio ad un'insalata verde e in un batter d'occhio non ce n'è più.

La seconda volta che ho preparato la ricetta ho misurato le quantità con più precisione e la volta successiva ho fatto minimi aggiustamenti. Qui sotto c'è la versione corrente e più in basso il link alla ricetta che mi ha ispirato (in inglese).

Ingredienti:

• 2 barbabietole rosse per ottenere 170 grammi, peso cotto e netto (vedi Nota in basso)

Per la salsa alle noci:

• 42 grammi di noci, preferibilmente appena sgusciate
• 2 piccoli spicchi d'aglio tritati
• 1 cucchiaio di cipollotto rosso tritato
  
• 1,5 cucchiai di prezzemmolo fresco tritato
  
• 1/8 cucchiaino di coriandolo in polvere
  
• 1/8 cucchiaino di fieno greco (trigonella) in polvere
• Un pizzichino di pepe di Caienna
• 1/8 cucchiaino di sale fino
  
• 1,5 cucchiai / 22,5 ml d'acqua
• 3/4 cucchiaio / 11,25 ml di aceto di sherry
  

Per il pkhali:

• Le barbabietole rosse arrosto (vedi sopra)
• La salsa alle noci (vedi sopra)
• 1/2 cucchiaio / 7,5 ml di aceto di sherry
• 1 cucchiaio di prezzemmolo fresco tritato
• Sale fino, q.b.

Nota: Se possibile, acquistare barbabietole rosse con ancora le foglie attaccate. Tagliare le foglie un paio di cm al di sopra del bulbo e consumarle prima possibile (si possono preparare come altre verdure in foglia). Per essere efficienti, raccomando di arrostire più barbabietole di quante ne servano per la ricetta e utilizzare il resto come ingrediente in una zuppa o insalata.

Scaldare il forno a 190 C.

Pulire le barbabietole rosse. Avvolgere ciascuna barbabietola in un pezzo di carta stagnola e metterle su una placca da forno. Infornare e arrostire le barbabietole rosse fino a quando si possono perforare facilmente con un coltello. Controllare dopo 45-60 minuti (a seconda della grandezza delle barbabietole) e valutare il tempo di cottura rimanente.

Far intiepidire le barbabietole, poi pelarle. Pesare la quantità necessaria per la ricetta. Tagliare le barbabietole a pezzi e metterle da parte.

Preparare la salsa di noci
Scaldare il forno a 170 C.

Distribuire le noci su una placca da forno. Tostare le noci per alcuni minuti.  Toglierle dalla placca e farle freddare.

Tritare finemente le noci nel robot, versarle in una ciotola e aggiungere tutti gli altri ingredienti della salsa alle noci. Mescolare bene e mettere da parte.

Preparare il pkhali
Tritare le barbabietole rosse nel robot. Aggiungerle alla ciotola con la salsa alle noci. Mescolare bene.

Aggiungere gli altri ingredienti del pkhali e mescolare bene. Coprire la ciotola e tenerla in frigo per almeno 4 ore (6-8 ore anche meglio).

Tirare fuori dal frigorifero il pkhali in anticipo, versarlo su un piatto da portata e lisciare la superficie con una spatola. (Io l'ho gli ho dato la forma un po' a collinetta, invece che piatta.) Con un coltello marcare la superficie con una decorazione a losanghe.

Servire a temperatura ambiente.

Serve 4 come antipasto.

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¹ Sezione su pkhali in Please to the Table: The Russian Cookbook di Anya von Bremzen e John Welchman (in inglese)
2 Il libro di memorie di Anya von Bremzen: L'arte della cucina sovietica

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Contribuisco il mio pkhali di barbabietole rosse dalla Georgia alla lettera B di Un mondo d'ingredienti evento creato dall'instancabile Aiu' di Trattoria Muvara

 

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FTC disclosure: Ho ricevuto gli articoli di lino gratuitamente dall'azienda produttrice (la FABBRICA del LINO). Non ho ricevuto e non riceverò alcun compenso per presentarli sul mio blog. Le opinioni espresse nel post sono interamente personali.

 

Comments

[Hafijur]

I love trying out new recipes and the Red Beet Pkhali in this article caught my eye. The combination of red beets and walnut sauce sounds delicious and I appreciate the author's tips for adjusting the recipe to personal taste. The historical context of the recipe adds an interesting layer to the article as well.

[Marg]

And now I want something beetrooty! Not that that is a real word!

[Delaware Girl Eats]

I had read The Kitchen Front previously and was glad to see it as a CtB selection. This treatment of beets looks interesting too. Another one to try

[Simona Carini]

I like the word "beetrooty" Marg :)

It was a big success here and I will try making it with other vegetables, Cathy, though I think the red beets make a more vibrant dish :)

[Wendy Klik]

I love beets and this recipe sounds wonderful. I enjoyed the book very much and think that this recipe was the perfect choice for you to share.

[Simona Carini]

I recommend it, Wendy: it's really a treat if you like beets :)