SMOKED-SABLE TARTARE WITH BEETS AND WATERCRESS

Smoked-Sable Tartare with Beets and Watercress image

Provided by Shelley Wiseman

Yield Makes 8 (first course) servings

Number Of Ingredients 9

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3 medium beets (about 1 1/2 pound with greens)
1/4 cup finely chopped shallots
2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar
2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 pound sliced smoked sablefish (black cod), chopped (about 1 1/3 cups)
2 bunches watercress, torn into small sprigs (6 cups)
Equipment: heavy-duty foil; a 2 1/2-inch pastry ring or cookie cutter without a handle

Steps:

Preheat oven to 450°F with rack in middle.
Trim beets, discarding stems and greens (or reserve for another use), then wrap together in foil and roast until tender, about 1 1/4 hours. Let beets stand in foil at least 15 minutes, then remove from foil and cool. Remove skins and cut beets into 1/3-inch dice.
Whisk together shallots, vinegar, lemon juice, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, then whisk in oil. Reserve 2 tablespoon vinaigrette for watercress and toss remainder with beets. Let marinate at room temperature 30 minutes.
Drain beets in a sieve set over a bowl and set beet vinaigrette aside.
Put pastry ring in center of a salad plate and gently press about 2 1/2 tablespoons fish into bottom of ring, then put about 1/4 cup beets over fish. Repeat on 7 more plates.
Toss watercress with reserved 2 tablespoons vinaigrette and mound over beets (a small handful per plate). Drizzle a little beet vinaigrette around each plate.