Roast Your Beets With Honey For Amazing Caramelisation
More than half of the food the average Trinbagonian eats is imported. This should come as no surprise since our twin isle’s annual food import bill is approximately $6 billion. By purchasing local, you funnel money back into our community and support its growth and sustainability for future generations. Our weekly column “In Season” features a sweet and savoury recipe for one readily-available ingredient, so you can take advantage of the vibrant bounty from farmers’ markets, local farm stands, and your own yard.
In foreign countries, commercial honey is often pasteurised (heated at 70°C or more, followed by rapid cooling) for easy filtering and bottling, so it looks cleaner and smoother on the shelves. But that destroys all healing properties. It’s rare to find honey in its pure, original form abroad but here, in Trinidad and Tobago, we’re lucky enough to have it in abundance. In fact, our honey is so sweet it takes gold at awards overseas. Before 2000, our twin isles won 58 awards at the National Honey Show in London. It gets its distinct taste from our various flora and fauna including hibiscus, lavender and hog plum. Although honey is expensive—one 300-ml jar costs around $85 and a one-litre jar is roughly $200—its healing properties make it worth the price. You can find honey selling at the side of the road or on shelves in nationwide markets.
HONEY ROASTED BEETS WITH NUTTY HERB RELISH
With this recipe, it’s easy to transform your kitchen into a fine-dining restaurant. The colours are bright, vivid and stunning. Sweet and tangy, these beets are charred until its natural sugars caramelise. Even though it’s crunchy on the outside, it’s still so tender with every bite. The honey reduction adds a light, floral note to balance the sweetness of the beets. And the nutty relish is versatile—if you have any leftovers, save it and top your chicken, fish or potatoes with it.
Author: Chef Chelsae-Marie Lee Kong
Yields: 10 Servings
Cook Time: 1 hr 25 mins
INGREDIENTS
- 4 tablespoons butter, salted
- 6 beets, raw and peeled
- 1⁄2 cup honey
- 1⁄2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1⁄4 cup olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- For the Nutty Relish
- 1⁄2 red onion, small diced
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1⁄4 cup pistachios/walnuts/pecans/ almonds, chopped
- 4 sprigs parsley, roughly chopped
- 2 sprigs tarragon or dill, roughly chopped
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Goat cheese for garnish
DIRECTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Slice each beet into 4 slices.
- Heat a large frying pan over medium heat. Melt the butter and sauté the slices of beets In a few batches until golden brown and slightly charred on both sides. Place the seared beets into a baking dish and wipe the pan between each batch
- Drizzle honey, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper over the beets, wrap the dish tightly with foil and bake for 45 to 60 minutes or until the beets are fork-tender.
- In the meantime, make the relish. In a small bowl, add small diced red onion and apple cider vinegar; allow to sit 15 minutes.
- Place the nuts onto a small baking tray and toast for 10 minutes in the oven; remove and allow to cool.
- In a separate bowl, add chopped nuts, herbs, olive oil and onion-and- vinegar mixture; stir until just combined. 7
- When the beets are tender, remove them from the oven, and pour the braising liquid from the pan into a small pot. Reduce over medium-high heat for 7 to 8
minutes—the liquid should reduce by a little more than half. Pour the reduction back over the beets and allow to cool. Let rest 15 minutes before serving. - Top with relish and goat cheese.
- Serve at room temperature or chilled. Enjoy!
About Post Author
