Warm Beetroot Salad with Orange, Mastiha and Hazelnuts
Main Ingredients 4 portions
1 pound (½ kilo) beets
Freshly squeezed juice of 3 oranges
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3-4 Τbsp. Mastiha-scented extra virgin olive oil
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Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup coarsely chopped hazelnuts
½ orange for garnish
2 Tbsp. fennel, finely chopped
Preparation
Preheat oven to 375˚F (190˚C).
Cut off the leaves from the beets and leave just a small part of their stems.
Wash, drain and wipen the beets. Rub them with a little olive oil and salt, place them on a sheet pan and bake until wilted and tender, about 1 hour.
Remove the beets from the oven and let them cool. Peel the beets and cut them into ½ -inch (1,5 cm) cubes.
In a deep skillet add the juice, zest, Mastiha, beets, and olive oil and simmer for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, roast the hazelnuts in a dry skillet, stirring to keep from burning.
Raise the heat on the beets and simmer until all the remaining liquid is absorbed. Season with salt and pepper. Serve them in a shallow bowl sprinkled with the roasted hazelnuts. Garnish with fennel and drizzle the juice of ½ orange.