Sweet and Salty Beet Chips

I remember the first time my husband bought me a birthday present, and it was a cookbook! Even though we had only known each other for less than a year at the time, he knew I was only interested in cookbooks filled with pages and pages of beautiful photos. No flowers, no perfume, none of that girly stuff. That book was one on Spanish tapas, which is where I found a recipe for theses sweet and salty beet chips. Beetroot (or red beet) is thinly sliced on a mandolin, and then deep fried until it loses all its moisture and crisp up into these delicate and crinkly chips. They look a little like rose petals, don't they? Now, there's an idea for edible wedding confetti!

Beetroot is rich in antioxidants, minerals and vitamin C. It is also a rich source of betaine which is vital to good cardiovascular health. I'm not sure how much (if any) of these nutrients are retained in the beet after they have been deep-fried, but well, at least it's a vegetable, and they're a good source of fibre! You can also substitute the beet with sweet potatoes or carrots, and serve a mixed platter to your guests at your next party. And for a real treat, serve these with a bowl of garlicky homemade aioli, or do what I did and just dip them in runny egg yolk on a sunny-side-up!

Sweet and Salty Beet Chips

Adapted from Great Tapas by Silvana Franco

Ingredients

1 small/medium red beet

Salt

Caster sugar

Vegetable oil for frying
Coarse sea salt for serving

Method

Peel and slice the beet as thinly as possible, preferably with a mandolin. You might want to wear a pair of gloves when doing this to avoid staining your hands! Lay the sliced beet out on paper towels and lightly sprinkle with salt and sugar.

Heat up some oil in a pan (about 2 inches deep) on medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, drop the sliced beet one at a time into the hot oil. Don't worry if they overlap because the chips will shrink to less than half the size as it cooks. The chips will sizzle as they releases their moisture. Fry for 2-3 minutes until the chips stop sizzling, or sizzle less than before. They will start to turn light brown around the edges. Take them out and don't let them brown too much as they can get bitter. Shake off excess oil and toss it around in a large bowl lined with paper towels, to absorb the oil and release any steam. The chips will start to crisp up as they cool down. Repeat with the next batch of beet slices until finished. Sprinkle with a little coarse sea salt before serving.