I’m afraid we don’t understand beets as well as we
could. We don’t get to interact with them when they’re roasting in a packet of
foil or boiling for an hour in a pot of dark red water.
This recipe from chef and cooking instructor Peter
Berley allows us to cook beets faster, like all the other vegetables we know
better. We get to cut them bite-size, cook them in a pan on the stovetop, and
peek at them anytime we want.
First they braise in water with red onion, balsamic
vinegar, butter, and tarragon until tender, then the lid comes off and the
liquids reduce down to a syrup. Then, as Berley writes, “The greens are placed
on top of the roots, the manner in which they grew.” They steam and wilt, then
get stirred through the glaze.
Yes, we get to use the whole beet in one
pan—including the greens and even the peel—so there’s no hanging onto the tops
with some unidentified goal, only to forget and throw them away a week later.
This is a recipe of efficiency, but you wouldn’t know it from how nicely it
cleans up on the plate.
Serves 4
1 medium red onion, cut into
¼-inch (6mm) crescents
4 to 5 fresh beets with tops,
roots scrubbed, trimmed, and cut into 4 to 6 wedges, greens chopped
3 tablespoons balsamic
vinegar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter or
extra-virgin olive oil
2 sprigs fresh tarragon, leaves
finely chopped
Coarse sea salt and freshly ground
black pepper
1 In a heavy pan wide enough to hold the vegetables in
a snug single layer, combine the onion, beet roots, vinegar, butter, tarragon,
and ½ teaspoon salt. Pour in enough water to barely cover the vegetables and
bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, for
25 minutes, or until the beets are nearly, but not quite, tender.
2 Raise the heat and boil, uncovered, until the liquid
has reduced to a syrup and the beets are fork-tender.
3 Add the beet greens, reduce heat, and simmer,
covered, for 5 minutes.
4 Uncover and turn the greens over so they mix with the
roots and onions. Add pepper and additional salt to taste. Simmer for 2 minutes
more and serve.
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