Ensalada de Remolacha con Queso Valdeón
Chapter 2: Cold Tapas
There is a distinct, thrumming energy to a great American tapas bar—the candlelit room, the hanging jamón, the glasses of Albariño clinking over small plates. This salad captures that exact rhythm. It hinges on Queso Valdeón, a fierce, buttery blue cheese from the Picos de Europa wrapped in sycamore leaves, and the deep, nutty bite of authentic Vinagre de Jerez. The restaurant secret here is the pickup: the beets are roasted ahead of time, then flashed in a screaming-hot skillet with a splash of sherry vinegar right before serving. The contrast of warm, sticky beets against cold, pungent cheese is exactly what the best tapas bars put on the plate.
Before you start
Roast the beets up to three days ahead.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Keep the red and golden beets separate so the colors don't bleed. Place the red beets on a large sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil, drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and season generously with kosher salt and pepper. Wrap tightly to create a sealed packet. Repeat with the golden beets in a separate foil packet. Place both packets on a baking sheet and roast for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a paring knife easily glides through the center of the largest beet.
Peel and wedge the roasted beets.
Carefully open the foil packets. Once cool enough to handle, use a paper towel to simply rub the skins off the beets—they should slip right off. Trim the roots and stems. Cut the beets into 1-inch wedges. Store the red and golden beets in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator.
Emulsify the sherry vinaigrette.
In a small jar or bowl, combine the minced shallot, 3 tablespoons of sherry vinegar, orange juice, honey, and a pinch of salt. Let it sit for 5 minutes to macerate the shallot. Slowly whisk in the 1/3 cup of premium olive oil until tightly emulsified. Store at room temperature if using the same day, or refrigerate.
Prepare the cold garnishes.
Segment the oranges over a bowl to catch the juices. Crumble the Valdeón and return it to the fridge—it is much easier to handle when cold, and you want that sharp temperature contrast later.
Ingredients
- red beets1 lb
- golden beets1 lb
- Spanish extra-virgin olive oil2 tbsp
- kosher salt and black pepperto taste
- Vinagre de Jerez3 tbsp
- fresh orange juice1 tbsp
- honey1 tsp
- shallot1 small
- premium Spanish extra-virgin olive oil1/3 cup
- olive oil1 tbsp
- raw Sherry vinegar1 tbsp
- Queso Valdeón4 oz
- fresh oranges2 large
- roasted salted pistachios1/3 cup
- mixed greens4 cup
- flaky sea saltto taste
Method
- 01
Dress the greens just before serving.
In a large mixing bowl, toss the mixed greens and the orange segments with just enough of the sherry vinaigrette to lightly coat the leaves. Arrange the dressed greens on a large, flat serving platter.
- 02
Flash the cold beets in a screaming hot pan.
Place a large cast-iron or heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Once the pan is very hot, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Immediately add the cold, pre-roasted beet wedges, working quickly so as not to crowd the pan. Let them sit undisturbed for 45 seconds to develop a slight blister and caramelize the sugars on one side, then toss once.
- 03
Glaze the beets with sherry vinegar.
Turn off the heat entirely and immediately splash 1 tablespoon of raw sherry vinegar directly into the hot pan. It will hiss, sizzle, and instantly reduce, enveloping the warm beets in a highly aromatic, sticky glaze.
- 04
Plate the warm beets over the cold greens and cheese.
Tumble the warm, glazed beets directly over the waiting platter of greens. While the beets are still radiating heat, scatter the cold, crumbled Queso Valdeón over the top. The residual heat from the beets will gently soften the edges of the blue cheese, releasing its rich, cave-aged aroma.
- 05
Garnish and serve immediately.
Shower the platter with the chopped pistachios and a final pinch of flaky sea salt. Serve right away alongside the rest of your tapas spread.
Notes
Seek out genuine Queso Valdeón.
Wrapped in sycamore leaves, this cheese from León maintains a perfect humidity and imparts a specific woodland aroma. It hits the palate with a spicy, salty intensity but finishes with an unbelievably buttery texture. If you must substitute, find a high-quality Cabrales or premium French Roquefort. Generic pre-crumbled American blue cheese lacks the fat content to gently melt against the warm beets.
Do not substitute the Vinagre de Jerez.
The complex, nutty, oak-aged acidity of authentic Sherry vinegar is the very lifeblood of the Spanish tapas bar. It is the aromatic backbone that cuts through the fat of the cheese and the earthiness of the beets. Accept no imitations.
Master the tapas menu rhythm.
This salad is engineered to sit on the table alongside heavier items like your jamón board, warmed olives, and pan con tomate. Because the labor is front-loaded, you have the mental bandwidth to step back to the stove and execute the perfect low-and-slow olive-oil-to-garlic timing for your gambas al ajillo while your guests graze.