This thick beet pancake — which I learned 20 years ago from Michael Romano — is cooked slowly until the beet sugars caramelize and a crunchy, sweet crust forms. It’s a lovely, unusual and versatile side dish, good with braised meats or grilled food. Served with a salad, it can even be a light dinner.
Summary
Keep the heat moderate — cooking too quickly will burn the sugary outside of the pancake while leaving the inside raw. And don’t forget to wear an apron when you're grating the beets.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds beets (3 very large or 4 to 6 medium)
- 2 teaspoons coarsely chopped fresh rosemary
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup flour
- 2 tablespoons butter
- Minced parsley or a few rosemary leaves for garnish
Method
- 1. Trim beets, and peel them as you would potatoes; grate them in food processor or by hand. Begin preheating 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat.
- 2. Toss grated beets in bowl with rosemary, salt and pepper. Add about half the flour; toss well, add rest of flour, and toss again.
- 3. Put butter in skillet; heat until it begins to turn nut-brown. Scrape beet mixture into skillet, and press with spatula to form a round. With medium to medium-high heat -- the pancake should gently sizzle -- cook, shaking pan occasionally, until bottom of cake is nicely crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Slide cake onto a plate, top with another plate, invert the two plates, and return cake to pan. Keep cooking, adjusting heat if necessary, until other side is browned, another 10 minutes or so. Garnish, cut into wedges, and serve hot or at room temperature.
Source: The New York Times
Inspired by Sardinian flatbread, this unleavened matzo-like bread contains more flavor than matzo does.
Stir-frying squash, especially with something that contains a bit of fat, like pork shoulder, keeps its flavor from becoming too sweet.
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From 1 to 25 of 35 Comments
Funny, I first read that as “beef rosti” and thought “How can that work?”
I love Donna Hay’s potato rosti, which are made by peeling potatoes the same way and tossing them with olive oil, dill and goat cheese, then making little mounds of the mixture on a silpat and roasting them in the oven. I’ll have to try it with beets!
Kitt
— Kitthttp://www.kittalog.com
Wow… that sounds amazing. I am going to try it with some fresh grated fennel mixed in with the beets too.
Chris Connors
— Chris Connorslambertvillechef.blogspot.com
This recipe (in the NYT) is how I originally discovered Mark Bittman several years ago. A perennial favorite, even people who claim not to like beets enjoy this. Love the contrast of the crunchy outside to the succulent inside, all of it deliciously sweet!
— NatashaSounds interesting. I don’t think I’ve ever cooked beets before.
— AndyThe New Cook
Yum! This sounds wonderful. I think I might try to make a gluten-free version.. I’ve got a ton of beets in the fridge! :)
Blessings,
— LyraLyra
http://glutenfreehippie.blogspot.com
Sounds delicious. Any recommendations for a wine to pair with?
— AndyFunny, I first read that as “beef rosti” and thought “that would be delicious!”
I think it would be a bit like corned beef hash. Now I’m thinking about beef AND beet rosti. Yummy!
— CharlotteWhat would you replace the flour with to get the same effect? Would a mix of rice flour and cornstarch work? I’d be afraid the cornstarch might get gummy.
— CatherineBeets used to be one of the very few vegetables I disliked. This fantastic recipe changed that. The combination of beets and rosemary is a really nice one and the copious butter doesn’t hurt at all.
Somehow this acted as a “gateway recipe” that led my partner and I to actually enjoy beets. It’s an odd thing, but one we’re quite happy about.
— Greg LI adore this recipe. I first tried it out of How To Cook Everything when I got beets in my CSA box and had no idea what to do with them, but now it’s an old favorite. I actually had it with dinner the night before I read this blog entry — what a coincidence!
— KyleThanks so much – this recipe sounds amazing – I’m going to try it as soon as I can. You’ve added sparkle to my vegan world (sans butter, earth balance instead).
— SLCatherine #8
I would try potaot starch before the corn starch. You can get it where kosher foods such at matzos are sold.
— pgThe one note of caution is to use a non-stick pan. I tried this with my cuisinart pan and beets stuck to the bottom (even with all the butter). So it made a mess but was delicious anyway.
— aliceI think if a nonstick pan doesn’t work just use a good old seasoned cast iron
— Frances McCaffreyskillet to do the job. Cast iron cooking also provides iron.
perfect wine pairing: Chateau Reynella Grenache “basket pressed”, McLaren Vale, Australia
— winoor
Willamette Valley Vineyards Pinot Noir “whole cluster press”, Oregon
Tried this last night, added about 20% red potatoes to make up for not quite enough beets, and they turned out fantastic. Got rave reviews. Seems like you could mix up to 50% of most any root vegetable (turnip, rutabaga, potato, …) with beets and it would turn out fine. Some thyme is a good addition, too. Plan to experiment with adding a small amount of shredded apple or pear next time.
— KenI’ve been working with the “11 Foods” list that Tara posted the other day and I have a question for you:
I tried a sardine/swiss chard/beets/garlic mix. Sauteed the garlic in olive oil, then added blanched and squeezed chard and beet tops and sardines, then tossed in the boiled beets, diced, and added some dijon mustard. Okay but not great. Something was missing.
The next day I took the mix and stuffed pickled ‘golden peppers’ (like poblano or maybe they are poblano – green, about a finger-length long) by cutting one side, rinsing out the seeds, and then stuffing with the sardine/chard/beets/garlic mix. Then warmed gently in a pan. It was better but something is still missing. What would make this better? Pignola? I was trying to avoid the obvious, such as cream or sour cream, which is what sounds good. Sardines are a tough sell, if you ask me, and I wanted a recipe that would combine them with one or two of the other “11″.
cgf
— cgfThis recipe — and the reactions it has produced — is exactly why I love The New York Times and Mark Bittman.
I’m going to make this tonight, along with the edamame, mint and pecorino salad. I’m determined to keep my body fed with healthy foods and both of these seem to me to be great options. Assuming I like the rosti, I’m going to try it next time with rice flour instead of wheat flour. Anybody out there done any substituting?
— amy selwynAnd just by way of update: I made the Beet Rosti last night and it was absolutely delicious. A real hit.
One suggestion that others might find useful: I added about a tablespoon of butter to the pan AFTER I flipped the pancake. I let the butter melt and get slight brown before cooking the other side of the rosti. It helped crisp the second side and kept the pancake moving in the pan.
— amy selwynJune 30th, SL comments “sans butter,earth balance
— Angel Retherfordinstead”. What is earth balance ? I am in the
process of weaning myself off of dairy products
and would love any suggestions on alternatives.
I have hated beets for more than 50 years. But I tried this dish last night and it was delicious, if messy to make with a hand peeler and grater.
For such a simple construction, the combination of flavors, textures and aromas (thank you, rosemary from the garden) was quite satisfying.
I also wondered about the dissonance between the “cooked slowly” (to caramelize the beets’ sugars) in the introduction and the “medium-high” heat in the recipe … but I’ll work that out. Today, in fact, as my daughter asked me to make it again!
— MikeI thank my lucky stars that Earth Balance was introduced around the time I decided to become vegan. It’s a great non-dairy spread sold in tubs like margarine(there’s also a stick version formulated for baking). The resemblance to margarine ends with the tub, though. EB is non-hydrogenated, non-GMO and lactose-, trans-fat-, and gluten-free, and it pretty much tastes and spreads like butter (as I remember butter). The label says it was developed “by nutrition researchers of Brandeis University. . . ,” something I hadn’t realized ’til I sat down to write this. I’m sure many other reformed butter lovers would agree that Earth Balance has made a big difference in the quality and tastiness of our vegan diets.
— Susan BlissWe tried this recipe last night and everyone loved it. Love the other suggestion shere.
— GinnyVery interesting recipe! I just cooked it, but next time might add more flour to keep the peel crustier. Also, goat cheese on top of it – adds a great flavor combination.
— EugeniaI made this for company and it was a huge hit. So crispy and sweet on the outside, and well roasted and yummy on the inside! I found a 12-inch pan to be too big, and would use a 10-inch next time.
To the person asking about gluten-free alternatives to the flour, I made it with the all-purpose Celiac flour from Kinnikinnick. This is a Canadian company, but their web site lists lots of places in the U.S. where you can buy their GF products (http://www.kinnikinnick.com), or you can shop online.
— Heather