Roasted Beets with Shaved Brussels Sprouts

Living in New York City, I'm constantly inspired by the different restaurants I go to, the various foods I get to eat. This dish is an adaptation of an appetizer that I had with my cousins at a wine bar in Hell's Kitchen, Casellula.

In my humble opinion, roasted beets don't need much to go with them. The dish that we shared at Casellula was perfect for that very reason. The beets were simply roasted, piled on top of raw shaved brussels sprouts, and garnished with a few nuts and some cheese. After eating it, I couldn't stop thinking about it and just had to recreate it in my own kitchen. I omitted the nuts and replaced them with lardons, of course. Other than that, I just tried to keep it simple, as it was meant to be.

Roasted Beets with Shaved Brussels Sprouts
Inspired by a dish from Casellula

1 bunch beets, stems removed and saved for another use
1 pound brussels sprouts, washed and trimmed
1/2 pound pork belly, cut into lardons
juice of 1 lemon
olive oil
salt and pepper
grated parmesan, to garnish

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Wash and trim beets and wrap each beet individually in foil. Place on a baking sheet and bake for about one hour, until a fork easily pierces the beets. When done, let them cool and then peel them and cut them into large chunks. Meanwhile, thinly slice brussels sprouts and give them a bit of a rinse.

Heat a skillet over medium heat and when hot, add the lardons. Cook until crisp and golden brown. Set aside. Toss brussels sprouts with lemon juice and just a drizzle of olive oil, then season with salt and pepper. Pile the beets on the brussels sprouts, tumble over the lardons, season with a bit of salt and pepper, and garnish with parmesan cheese.