Sometimes the simplest recipe is the best. Water, beets, shallot, vinegar, salt, pepper, and olive oil. I bought peach vinegar in Williamsburg last fall and I swear it makes this taste buttery, but any kind of vinegar would work – balsamic, apple cider, rice wine, white wine, white balsamic, etc.
This is adapted from Josée di Stasio’s wonderful first cookbook.
Ingredients
5 beets, peeled and quartered
1 small shallot, thinly sliced
3/4 cup water
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
2-3 tbsp peach vinegar (or balsamic or other vinegar, see above)
1 tbsp high quality olive oil
Combine beets with water, salt, and pepper in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover pot, and simmer until tender (about 15-20 minutes, depending on size of beet chunks). Test beets with a fork. The fork should enter, not too easily. Remove one from the pot, let it cool briefly and cut off a piece. It should be tender. If not, return beet to pot and keep simmering. Add a little water if pot is almost dry.
When beets are tender remove to serving dish. Add the vinegar to the water left in the pot. Add salt and pepper to taste. If too watery, boil down liquid. Whisk in oil. our vinaigrette over beets. Serve warm.
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