Chioggia Carpaccio

Raw candy-stripe beetroot with blood orange, pistachios and aged balsamic

Origin: Veneto, Italy

From the journey of Beetroot.

The Chioggia beet (named for the fishing town at the southern lip of the Venetian Lagoon) is the most visually dramatic of all beetroot cultivars. Slice it thinly and the interior reveals concentric rings of deep red and white, like the cross-section of a geological core or a Bulls-eye sweet. Developed in the market gardens of the Veneto, where a culture of labour-intensive vegetable cultivation produced some of Italy's most distinctive regional produce, the Chioggia beet is milder and less earthy than the standard red beet, with a sweetness that suits raw preparations entirely. The thin-sliced carpaccio treatment (echoing the raw beef preparation invented at Harry's Bar in Venice) applies naturally: thinly sliced rounds spread on a plate, dressed with excellent olive oil, citrus, and something crunchy. Blood orange, when in season, gives the dish a second ring of colour to play against the candy-stripe circles. Pistachios and aged balsamic complete the Venetian market aesthetic: restraint, precision, and the confidence to let a beautiful ingredient speak.

Ingredients

Salad

400 g Chioggia (candy-stripe) beets, scrubbed clean, tops trimmed
2 blood oranges (or 1 large navel orange), peeled, pith removed, thinly sliced into rounds
40 g shelled pistachios, lightly toasted and roughly chopped
50 g ricotta salata or mild feta, crumbled (optional)
1 small handful fresh mint leaves, torn

Dressing

3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp aged balsamic vinegar (at least 6 years: dense enough to drizzle)
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice or blood orange juice

Seasoning

flaky sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Method

Using a mandoline or a very sharp knife, slice the raw Chioggia beet into rounds as thin as possible: 2–3mm. The concentric ring pattern will be most visible at this thickness. Lay immediately in a single overlapping layer on a large serving plate.
Arrange the blood orange rounds over and around the beet slices, overlapping attractively.
Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt. Drizzle over the beet and orange.
Drizzle the aged balsamic in thin lines across the plate.
Scatter over the pistachios, ricotta salata (if using), and torn mint. Season with flaky sea salt and cracked black pepper. Serve immediately.

Notes

If Chioggia beets are unavailable, golden (yellow) beets make an excellent substitute: pale gold slices with a delicate sweetness. Standard red beet can be used but the visual point of the dish is lost, and the raw flavour is more assertive.

The Gastrographer

Name: Chioggia Carpaccio
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Italy
Ingredients: 400 g Chioggia (candy-stripe) beets, scrubbed clean, tops trimmed; 2 blood oranges (or 1 large navel orange), peeled, pith removed, thinly sliced into rounds; 40 g shelled pistachios, lightly toasted and roughly chopped; 50 g ricotta salata or mild feta, crumbled (optional); 1 small handful fresh mint leaves, torn; 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil; 1 tbsp aged balsamic vinegar (at least 6 years: dense enough to drizzle); 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice or blood orange juice; flaky sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Mapping Culinary History

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Journey Point Map Key

Ingredient originTrade or transit route

Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control