RECIPE: Make Bona Fide Deluxe’s Pickled Beets
Who would think that beets would be our new favorite vegetable? My husband and I cannot get enough of the pickled beets at Bona Fide Deluxe. They’re served with a pink peppercorn ranch dressing. Delicious! Maybe we could make these at home? — Martha Simmons, Decatur
Bona Fide Deluxe’s partner and executive chef Nolan Wynn sent the recipe and credits its creation to chef de cuisine Chance Cooper. It’s so popular that the restaurant prepares 25 pounds of beets at a time. We’ve scaled it back to something more practical for home cooks.
Bona Fide Deluxe’s Pickled Beets
- 1 pound beet roots
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup white vinegar
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Pink Peppercorn Ranch, for serving
- Dill sprigs and grated ricotta salata, for garnish
- Rinse beets and trim off root and stem ends.
- Bring a large pot of water to boil over high heat. Add the beets and cook until tender, about 30 minutes, depending on size of beets. Beets are tender when easily pierced with the tip of a knife. Drain beets and allow to cool until they can be easily handled. Peel beets and slice them 1/2-inch thick, then cut the slices into 1/2-inch sticks. Put beets in a medium bowl.
- In a medium saucepan, combine water, red wine vinegar, white vinegar, sugar, salt, mustard powder and black pepper over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer, then pour vinegar mixture over beets. Let beets come to room temperature, then put in a covered jar or bowl and refrigerate at least overnight. May be made up to 2 weeks in advance.
- Serve with Pink Peppercorn Ranch and garnish with dill and ricotta salata.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per 1/4-cup serving, without Pink Peppercorn Ranch or ricotta salata: 30 calories (percent of calories from fat, 30), 1 gram protein, 6 grams carbohydrates, 5 grams total sugars, 1 gram fiber, trace total fat (no saturated fat), no cholesterol, 77 milligrams sodium.Pink Peppercorn Ranch
Pink peppercorns are not a member of the black peppercorn family, but a different dried berry that has a slightly sweet taste. You may find them at some grocery stores, including The Fresh Market, and online. Toast about 3 teaspoons whole pink peppercorns in a small dry skillet over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, just until they release their fragrance, about 2 minutes, then cool and grind.
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup whole fat buttermilk
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup chopped chives
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- Juice of 1/2 small lemon
- 2 teaspoons chopped dill
- 2 teaspoons chopped parsley
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground toasted pink peppercorns
- Kosher salt, to taste
- In a medium bowl, stir together mayonnaise, buttermilk, sour cream, chives, vinegar, lemon juice, dill, parsley and ground pink peppercorns. Add salt to taste. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per tablespoon: 48 calories (percent of calories from fat, 94), trace protein, trace carbohydrates, trace total sugars, trace fiber, 5 grams total fat (1 gram saturated), 4 milligrams cholesterol, 44 milligrams sodium.Note: For nutritional calculations, the salt included is defined as 1/16 teaspoon.
From the menu of ... Bona Fide Deluxe, 1454 La France St., Atlanta; 404-228-2391, bonafide-atl.com.
Is there a recipe from a metro Atlanta restaurant you’d like to make at home? Tell us and we’ll try to get it. We’ll also test it and adapt it for the home kitchen. Because of volume, we can’t answer all inquiries. Send your request, your address and phone number to fromthemenu@gmail.com and put “From the menu of” and the name of the restaurant in the subject line.
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