Chef Jamie Kennedy
The pickled beets cut through the richness of the cheese in this dish. It is perfect for lunch or as a savoury after the main course in a multicourse dinner. If Oka is tough to find, experiment with the artisan cheese of your choice, but keep the flavour profile relatively mellow–no big blues!
New Potato and Oka Melt with Pickled Beets
Ingredients
- 18 small new potatoes
- 1 lb (454 g) Oka cheese
- 6 small golden beets and 6 candy cane beets (alternatively, 1 quart (1 L) pickled beets)
- 2 Tbsp (30 mL) white wine vinegar
- 1 shallot
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
01
Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C). Cook the new potatoes in boiling salted water (about 10 to 12 minutes). If you are using fresh beets, cook them in boiling salted water. If they are very small, they will take approximately the same amount of time as the potatoes.
02
When the vegetables are cooked, drain them and let them cool. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut them in half and place six halves facing up in the centre of six ovenproof plates. Slice six wedges of cheese and place one wedge on each mound of potatoes. Place the plates in the oven. If using fresh beets, peel and slice the beets into quarters. While they are still warm, toss them in a marinade of the vinegar, shallots, and seasoning.
03
Remove the plates from the oven when the cheese has melted. Garnish each plate with five quarters of marinated or pickled beets. (The leftover marinated beets keep very well in the refrigerator.) Serve at once.
