We like roasting in salt because it transfers heat and flavor beautifully. Here we’ve combined the salt with ginger and egg whites to form a crust around the whole beets. The roasting process sweetens and intensifies the flavor of the vegetables. The roasted beets peel easily and have a gentle, tender texture. Their surface layer will be well seasoned and the flavor of the ginger will have permeated their interior. Remember, almost any aromatics can be blended with the salt: lemongrass, cumin, star anise—the pantry is your palette.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 4 as a side dish
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
Step 2
Wash the ginger and cut it into small pieces. Puree the ginger in a food processor until it becomes a rough paste. Add the egg whites and puree to combine. Add the salt and puree again to combine. The mixture will resemble wet sand.
Step 3
Spread one-quarter of the mixture over the bottom of a 5 × 9-inch loaf pan. Nestle the beets, stem side down, into the salt. Cover the beets with the rest of the ginger salt, packing it around the beets and making sure they are covered. (The bottom tips of the beets may be the only part exposed.) Roast for 1 hour. Remove the pan from the oven and place on a wire rack. Using a metal cake tester, poke the beets. They are done when the beet feels firm but tender as the tester goes through it; it will feel like testing a baked potato. Let the beets rest in the hot salt for 30 minutes.
Step 4
Use the back of a spoon to crack the salt crust, then scoop the salt away from the beets. Remove the beets and, using paper towels, wipe off the salt and peel the skin. Put the beets on a cutting board and cut each one into 8 wedges. Serve the beets warm or let them cool to use in a salad or other cold preparation.
