Morcilla Salad with Beets, Fennel and Walnut-Tequila Vinaigrette

Ingredients

• For the vinaigrette:
• 1 cup walnuts, dry toasted
• 1 cup tequila Añejo or Reposado
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon whole grain or Dijon mustard
• 3 ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
• 1 chipotle morita, stemmed and seeded
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• Salt
• For the salad:
• 5 medium red beets
• 1 head of fennel, fronds removed, some reserved for garnish
• 1 small red onion
• 4 links good-quality morcilla

Directions

1. For the dressing: Warm a griddle or cast iron pan, then add the chiles and press them with a spatula as they toast for 30 seconds or so per side, just until the skins blister and a faint thread of smoke appears. Transfer them to a container, cover with hot water, and leave them to soften for 30 minutes.
2. Pour the tequila into a small saucepot, carefully flame it to cook off the alcohol, then simmer until it has reduced by two thirds. Add the walnuts to a blender with the mustard, vinegar, reduced tequila, and softened chiles. The chile soaking water can be poured off, or saved to loosen the vinaigrette if it blends up too thick.
3. Blend with some of the oil, then drizzle in the remaining oil slowly while the machine runs, until the dressing comes together and looks emulsified. Add salt to taste, then check the brightness and adjust with vinegar or lime juice if needed. A small pinch of sugar may be nice here, as well.
4. For the salad: Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Wash the beets thoroughly, trim away any tops that are still attached, and while the beets are still damp, cover them generously with salt. Roast them in the salt for about an hour, depending on their size, until a fork slides in easily.
5. Slip off the beet skins, then shave the beets on a mandolin or cut them very thinly with a knife. With the mandolin or a knife, cut the fennel crosswise against the grain, and slice the red onion to match the thickness of the beets.
6. Put the beets in one bowl, and combine the fennel and onion in another. Separating them keeps the pale vegetables from being tinted by the beets, so the finished salad stays more colorful.
7. Heat a griddle or cast iron pan, slick it with a thin coating of oil, and cook the morcilla until the casing crisps. You can finish it in the oven if needed, but handle it gently so the casing does not split. Take the sausages off the heat and let them sit briefly while you dress the salad.
8. Add a spoonful of dressing to the bowl of beets and to the bowl of fennel and onion, along with the herbs. Season with salt, then toss until everything is coated to your liking.
9. On four plates, swipe a little dressing where the morcilla will go. Arrange the salad to the side, layering the beet and fennel in a pretty alternating pattern.
10. Cut the morcilla on the bias and fan the slices over the swipe of dressing. Finish with chopped walnuts, or use a microplane to shower the walnuts finely over the plate for a more polished look. Set out an additional plate with a glass of water and a beer for the visiting spirit at the feast.