Serves6
- Active time:20 min
- Start to finish:2 hr
March 2008
Don’t assemble these hors d’oeuvres until the last minute, or the chips will get soggy.
For chips
-
2
medium beets with stems trimmed to 1 inch (1 lb total, including greens)
-
1
cup
water
-
1
cup
sugar
For curried sour cream
-
2
tablespoons
finely chopped shallot
-
1
tablespoon
olive oil
-
3/4
teaspoon
Madras curry powder
-
3/4
cup
sour cream
-
1 1/2
tablespoons
finely chopped fresh chives
-
1/4
teaspoon
salt
-
1/4
teaspoon
black pepper
Make chips:
-
Peel beets with a vegetable peeler, then slice paper-thin with slicer, using stems as handles.
-
Bring water and sugar to a boil in a 3-quart heavy saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Add beets, then remove pan from heat and let stand15 minutes. Drain beets in a colander, discarding liquid, then let stand in colander 15 minutes more.
-
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 225ºF.
-
Line a shallow baking pan with nonstick liner, then arrange beet slices snugly in 1 layer (it’s not necessary to use any partial or broken slices) and season with salt and pepper. Bake beets until dry, about 1 hour. Immediately transfer chips to a rack to cool (chips will crisp as they cool).
Make curried cream while beets bake:
-
Cook shallot in oil in a small skillet over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in curry powder and cook, stirring, 1 minute.
-
Stir shallot into sour cream in a bowl along with chives, salt, and pepper. Serve curried cream with beet chips.
Cooks’ notes:- Beet chips can be made 5 days ahead and cooled completely, then kept in a sealed plastic bag at room temperature.
- Curried sour cream can be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.
