(Recipe) Beet Tapioca Mix

1] Place the beets on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Roast in a 325°F convection oven for 50-60 minutes or until just cooked through. Cooking time will depend on the size of the beets. Allow to cool. Peel and remove the skin. Slice into into 1?8″-thick pieces. Slice into strips. Place in a storage container. Cover, label, date and refrigerate until needed.

2] Place 1¾ c. of water and 2 oz. of roasted beets in a blender. Blend until smooth. Place 6 c. of tapioca flour in a stainless-steel mixing bowl. Pour the beet water over the flour. Add the salt. Mix the water into the flour. Scrape any excess flour from the sides of the bowl. Rub the mixture between the palms of your hands until blended into granules, which need to be just wet enough to melt together when sifted into the heated pan, yet dry enough so it will not stick to the wire mesh of the strainer.

3] Place a 10″ mesh strainer over a clean stainless-steel mixing bowl. In manageable batches, Scoop the flour into the strainer. Moving in a circular motion push the flour through the strainer. The flour will look dry when finished. Repeat until all of the flour has been sifted through the strainer. Place a small handful of the flour in the palm of your hand and squeeze it together. It should stick together in a clump. If it doesn’t, spray a small amount of water from a spray bottle over the top of the flour. Mix and sift again. If it is too wet, add a small amount of tapioca flour. Mix and sift again, if necessary. 

To prepare à la carte:

1] Place a 10″ nonstick sauté pan over medium-low heat. Scoop ¾ c. of the tapioca flour mixture into a 6″ medium mesh strainer. Keep the flour loose when filling the cup. Sift the flour evenly over the bottom of the pan. When the granules hit the pan they quickly coalesce.

2] Use a pastry brush to spread the mixture out around the edges so the tapioca has uniform thickness. With a small amount of shaping, form a pancake. Cook 1 minute or until the pancake slides around easily in the pan. Flip the pancake over. Cook another minute, then flip one more time. Remove from the pan with the smooth side down.