Directions
For the Beets:
- Preheat the water bath to 181.4°F (83°C).
- Wash the beets thoroughly and trim the tops. If using large beets, peel and quarter them.
- Toss the beets in the olive oil and season with sea salt.
- Place the beets in a sous vide bag and vacuum pack.
- Place in water bath and cook for 60-90 minutes.
- Remove bag of sous vide beets from water bath and transfer the pouch to a bowl filled with cool water.
For the Watercress:
- Wash the watercress to remove any dirt, and spin it dry with a salad spinner. Shake it very well to remove any excess moisture, and wrap with a wet paper towel followed by plastic wrap, which will keep the watercress fresh longer.
- Place the bowl in a Multivac chamber vacuum machine and run on the General setting for one cycle.
- Drain and store in resealable bag, then transfer to the fridge.
If using a salad spinner: Follow the directions as above for cleaning and spinning, and then place the watercress, roots intact (if possible) and submerged in a small bowl of ice water. Refrigerate overnight.
For the Shallots:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Peel the shallots.
- Heat butter in a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat.
- Add the shallots and sugar to the pan and toss to coat. Cook until shallots begin to caramelize, taking care not to burn them.
- Add the vinegar, and season with salt and pepper.
- Transfer pan to the oven and roast for 20-30 minutes until tender and caramelized. Set aside.
For the Pecans:
- Preheat deep fryer to 375°F (190.5°C). (If a fryer is not available, fill a medium saucepan with 2 cups of canola oil.)
- Fry the pecans, in batches if necessary to avoid crowding in the pot, for 2 minutes.
- Drain and rinse under cold water.
- Combine 1 cup of water and 3 cups of sugar and bring to simmer for 2 minutes.
- Add the pecans and continue to simmer for 5 minutes.
- Drain and transfer to a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet and allow to air dry.
- Once they are dry, fry the pecans again in small batches for about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Transfer to the rimmed baking sheet set on top of a cooling rack.
- Repeat until all the pecans have been fried. Allow the pecans to cool completely.
For the Dish:
- Peel sous vide beets by using a rag or a paper towel (gloves are recommended).
- Arrange the watercress on a serving dish.
- Combine the beets with the shallots in a bowl.
- Arrange the beets and shallots on the plate with the watercress.
- Garnish with goat cheese, pecans, and micro herbs.