Crudité Plate
According to chef and best-selling cookbook author Joshua Weissman, “Enjoying a crudité plate is like drinking water after you’ve forgotten to do it but then you realize how badly you needed it.” It makes a crisp, colorful and refreshing start to any celebratory meal and won’t leave you stuffed before the main course arrives, which is one reason we like to serve it at the beginning of a hearty Rosh Hashanah meal. If you can find pink-and-white striped Chioggia beets, they make a pretty addition the platter.
Ingredients
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1/4 cup (1 oz./30 g) toasted pine nuts
- 1/4 cup (2 fl. oz./60 ml) fresh lemon juice, plus more if needed
- 8 garlic cloves
- Kosher salt
- 1/2 cup (4 fl. oz./125 ml) vegetable oil
- Crushed ice for serving
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and shaved into 1/4-inch (6-mm) planks on a mandoline
- 2 small golden beets, peeled and shaved into 1/4-inch (6-mm) rounds on a mandoline
- 4 French radishes, shaved 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick lengthwise on a mandoline
- 1 head Belgian endive, trimmed and leaves separated
- Flaky finishing salt, preferably Maldon or Jacobsen, for sprinkling
Directions
Place the bell pepper directly on top of a stovetop burner. Turn the burner to high heat and char the pepper until blackened all over, using tongs to rotate the pepper frequently. Place the charred pepper in a medium bowl, cover with plastic wrap and set aside to cool slightly for 5 minutes.
Using a paper towel or clean kitchen towel, wipe off the charred skin. Remove the core and seeds from the bell pepper.
Place the bell pepper flesh in a high-speed blender. Add the pine nuts, lemon juice, garlic, 1 Tbs. water and kosher salt to taste. Blend on high speed until the mixture is as smooth as possible. If the mixture is too thick to blend, add more water, 1 Tbs. at a time, until the mixture catches on the blender blade.
With the blender motor running, gradually stream in the vegetable oil. If the mixture thickens too much to blend, add more water, 1 Tbs. at a time, until it continues blending. When the mixture is as smooth as possible, transfer it to a bowl and season to taste with additional salt and lemon juice as needed.
Fill a large, shallow bowl all the way to the brim with crushed ice. Nestle the carrots, beets, radishes and endive in the ice so they stand up, arranging them nicely. Top with a generous sprinkling of flaky finishing salt. Serve with the sauce on the side for dipping. Serves 4.
Adapted from Texture Over Taste by Joshua Weissman (DK 2023)