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Don’t peel or cut raw beetroot, just rub to clean off the earth before boiling |
Health benefits to beetroot to
Don’t get in a pickle over beetroot – it’s a vegetable to be savoured eaten fresh, as well as boiled and roasted, says Clare Latimer
THE beetroots in my garden are now perfect. So many people just eat pickled beetroots but there are many alternatives. Eating them raw gives the most health benefits and when they are really fresh I think the flavour is perfect.
If you have an Aga then probably the best way to cook them is to just leave them in the medium heat oven for a few hours; for the rest of us, they can be boiled, roasted and even stir fried. Farmers’ markets will now be awash with them and they may even have the different coloured ones such as red and white stripped or yellow ones.
Here are recipes for each of the cooking variations.
Choose good, fresh uncooked beetroot with pert leaves. Cut the green tops off, leaving 1 to 2 inches of stalk (the leaves draw moisture from the root) and store unwashed in the fridge for up to four days.
Don’t peel or cut raw beetroot before boiling or the colour will drain out. Gently rub the beets to clean off the earth.
To boil, put medium sized washed beetroot in a pan of salted water, bring to the boil and simmer for about 45 minutes. Leave to cool and then peel with your hands. The skin comes off easily.
To bake, preheat oven to 170C/325F/gas 3. Put the whole beets into a baking dish, cover with foil and cook for 1-2 hours (depending on size). Leave until cool enough to handle, and then remove the skins.
To roast, preheat oven to 200C/400F/gas 6. Put the beetroots into a roasting tin; coat with a little olive oil and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. (At this point you can add fresh herbs such as rosemary or thyme or some orange zest.)
Roast for 45 minutes, or until cooked through.
To use raw, peel and grate strips for salads and sandwiches.
Boiled beetroots in white sauce
This is a very good vegetable to go with grilled pork chops.
Ingredients – serves 4
4 medium sized boiled beetroots, skinned
50g butter
50g flour
10 fl oz milk
1 teasp fresh thyme leaves
Salt and black pepper.
Method
Cut the beetroots up into mouth-size pieces and set aside. Melt the butter in a small saucepan and then add the flour and stir well. Gradually add the milk stirring continuously to make a smooth white sauce. Add the thyme and season with salt and pepper. Add the beetroot and stir over a low heat until they have warmed through. Serve hot.
Baked beetroots with crab
This recipe only works to perfection if you have really fresh crab meat. In our shop it has been in the sea 24 hours before so there can be no fresher crab in London! Baked beetroots can also just be served hot with butter.
Ingredients – serves 4
225g fresh white and brown crabmeat, mixed
Juice of ½ lemon
Little salt and lots freshly ground black pepper
1small pot soured cream
4 medium baked beetroots, skinned and sliced
Handful fresh rocket leaves.
Method
Put the crabmeat into a bowl and mix with the lemon juice, salt and pepper. Using a tablespoon scoop out onto the middle of four starter size plates and then arrange the beetroot slices around the crabmeat. Garnish with four teaspoons of soured cream dotted round the edge of each plate and arrange the rocket leaves on each plate. Serve chilled.
Beetroot salad
This is a very healthy and delicious salad – so act fast before the summer ends.
Ingredients – serves 2
Handful fresh watercress, washed
1 large fresh carrot, peeled and sliced thinly
1 orange, peeled and segments cut out
1 raw beetroot, peeled and then grated
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
50g feta cheese, crumbled
25g walnuts, chopped.
Method
Arrange the watercress on a serving plate. Lay over the carrot slices and top with the orange segments. Sprinkle over the grated beetroot and season with salt and pepper. Dot the feta cheese over the top and sprinkle with the walnuts. Serve chilled with nutty bread. |
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