Joel Robuchon always said that the art of being a great cook was the ability to highlight the essential flavor of each ingredient, to make it taste as much like itself as possible. If making vegetables the center of our plate is one of the best things that we can do for both our health and to minimize our environmental food footprint, then Joel’s mantra is one to live by. With vegetables we have an endless canvas to create vibrant, colorful and deeply flavorful dishes. Here, beets are the star of the show. By cooking them in a salt crust they become delicately seasoned and steamed to buttery perfection, bringing out the best of their sweet yet earthy character. The touch of lime and red onion pickle give a refreshing counterpoint of acidity and the pistachios add crunch and color. A veritable showstopper.
Nourish notes: Native to hot, dry climates pistachios require between a third to half as much water as almond trees and can survive through extended periods of drought. They can also withstand greater levels of salt than other nut trees, which turns out to be important as farmers are increasingly forced to dig deeper for water during periods of drought, where water has a higher salt content, sometimes to levels that are killing other orchard crops like almonds.
Salt-Crusted Beets with Lime, Pistachios and Red Onion Pickle
Equipment : a large, heavy-based casserole
Ingredients
5 small beets, leaves trimmed but skins left on
6 cups coarse sea salt (see note)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lime juice
2 teaspoons pickled red onions, minced (recipe below)
1 tablespoon unsalted pistachios, roughly chopped
NOTE: The salt can be reused several times, simply store in an airtight container after use.
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C).
2. In the casserole, place 2 cups of the coarse salt to create a base. Place the beets on the bed of salt and cover with the remaining salt to create a crust. Make sure that there are no holes exposing the beets, packing down the salt if necessary.
3. Place the casserole in the oven, uncovered, and bake for 90 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the crust for at least 30 minutes. Crack the salt crust with a sharp knife and remove the beets. With a paring knife, trim the root ends and carefully peel away the skin. Slice into wedges and arrange in a small serving bowl.
4. In a small bowl whisk together the olive oil and lime juice. Pour over the beet wedges and garnish with the minced pickled onion and chopped pistachios.
Quick Pickled Red Onion
1 small red onion, peeled, sliced in half from root to tip, and sliced thinly into half moons
4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons maple syrup
½ teaspoon sea salt
In a bowl, combine the cider vinegar, maple syrup and salt. Add the sliced onions and set aside to pickle for at least 10 minutes. Will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for at least a week.
This is a Nourish the Planet recipe, part of a collaborative series by Patricia Wells and Emily Buchanan.
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