were exposed to the canned variety as a kid. Those are not
easy to like. A freshly roasted beet, on the other hand, is
something quite different. Sweet as candy, rich and earthy,
with a great sorta-soft-sorta-crisp texture, they’re one of my
favorite vegetables. I make one or another form of beet
salad a few times a year, and these two are among my wife’s
favorites. Just like her, they are pretty, colorful, and best at
room temperature.
You can boil beets, but the process will rob them of flavor
(notice how pink that water gets?—that’s flavor going right
down the drain). I’ve found that the best way to cook them
is in the oven, in an airtight foil pouch. They steam as they
cook, heating up the air in the pouch, which allows them to
cook faster, with minimal moisture loss. Because you’re
using a dry cooking method, they barely lose any juices or
flavor. And the foil pouch is a great way to add aromatics: a
few sprigs of thyme or rosemary, some black pepper and
olive oil, and perhaps some citrus zest. After roasting, they
are extremely easy to peel—their skins slip right off under
cool running water. To prevent staining your wooden
cutting board, line it with a sheet of plastic wrap before
working with beets.
nandana
(Nandana)
#1