I’ve must have done beets over 50 different ways so far but I am still always searching for something new and different. I came across the most FORKING AMAZING white albino beets from from Singh Meadows Farm in Tempe Arizona. I got lucky and found this FORKING AMAZING recipe for beets and a FORKING AMAZING recipe for crispy fried beet leaves both from genius chef Yotam Ottolenghi on www.TheGuardian.com There are more recipes to both recipes but I thought for me I had enough to enjoy. You can add a blend of heavy cream and greek style yogurt to the beets if you want. To the battered crispy beet leaves you can make a tangerine dipping dipping sauce. Serving size here is difficult to call. The recipe says that it makes 4 side servings from 8-10 medium/large beets…..for me that sounds more like 8 servings…?????? I will say 4 servings.

Ingredients for around 4 servings.

2 pounds beets with leaves (reserve leaves for frying if desired)

sea salt

1 stick unsalted butter

1 1/3 oz olive oil

5 lime leaves – chopped

1/3 oz fresh ginger – peeled and chopped

1 garlic clove – crushed

1 Tablespoon lime juice + 2 tsp to serve

10 lime leaves – stalks removed and finely chopped – lime leaf salsa

1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger – peeled and fine chopped – lime leaf salsa

1/2 garlic clove -crushed- lime leaf salsa

1/2 green chili – fine chopped – lime leaf salsa

1 Tablespoon cilantro leaves, tender stems ok – chopped – lime leaf salsa

3 Tablespoons olive oil – lime leaf salsa

beet greens (I used just the leaves but it is ok to include stems)

scant ounce – dill – torn in small pieces

1/2 ounce fresh mint – torn in small pieces

1/2 Tablespoon Szechuan peppercorns – crushed

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup corn starch

1 Tablespoon baking powder

1 cup ice water

1/2 teaspoon black sesame seeds

pinch ground white pepper

oil for frying

Directions

Set oven to 425 F. Place beets (not leaves) in a in a baking dish with a thumbs length of water. Add one tablespoon of salt and cover tight with a lid or foil. Bake one hour and twenty minutes or until beets are fork tender. Let them cool and remove skins when cool enough to handle.

While beet are cooking put the butter, oil, lime leaves, ginger and garlic in a sauce pan on medium high heat. Gently cook until butter begins to bubble about 4 minutes. Then let flavors infuse for around 40 minutes. Discard solids and stir in 1 Tablespoon lime juice and one teaspoon salt (preferably flaked salt).

Make lime leaf salsa. Mix the lime leaves, ginger, garlic, green chilli, cilantro and olive oil together. Set to the side.

By now the beets are cool and peeled. Make the hasselback on the beets. Cut slits on the backs….I used chopsticks around each beet as I made the cuts so I wouldn’t accidentally cut all the way threw. Place the beets on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Spoon the melted butter over the beets and into the cuts. They need around 1 hour and 15 minutes in the oven. Baste them around every 20 minutes. They need to cook till they are cooked threw and have crisp edges and are caramelized.

While the beets are in the oven you can make the crisp battered beet leaves. Have a pot of oil on medium heat slightly towards high. In a small bowl add the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, sesame seeds, dill, mint, peppers and salt. Add ice-water till you have a nice smooth batter. Dip a few leaves to fry up. They get done when golden. Use a cooling rack or a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Repeat till done.

To serve – Spoon the butter over them, (if using yogurt cream spoon that on too) Drizzle with salsa and remaining lime juice.

ENJOY!

A special THANKS! to Yotam Ottolenghi for his FORKING AMAZING recipe and to the Guardian for putting his recipes up on the web.