May 28, 2014

Risotto with whole baby beets


Welcome to my baby beet party...









Risotto with whole baby beets
by Gray Apron
time: 30 minutes

 ingredients 
1 1/2 cup rice (I used basmanti)
4 cups boiling water with 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
2 bunches (about 400 g) baby beets
pinch coarse salt and sugar
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 scallion, chopped
30 g (2 Tablespoons) butter, diced
30 g (1 oz) Parmesan, grated
zest from 1 medium lemon, grated
parsley for finishing

 instructions 
Preheat oven to 235C/450F (fan forced function). Cut off root beets with a part of the stems. Chop the rest of the stem and leaves. Slice the roots. Arrange them on a baking dish, drizzle with 1 Tbs olive oil, a couple of pinches salt and sugar. Set it in the hot oven for 12 minutes. Remove the dish from the heat and put it aside. Meanwhile...

In a medium pot, heat oil on medium heat. Add scallions and beet stems (without the leaves), sauté for 5 minutes. Add rice, sauté for 5 minutes. Pour in a cup of boiling, salted water. Mix till all water absorbed. Keep adding water (about 1/2 cup at the time) and mixing for about 25 minutes till all water used.  5 minutes before the end, add chopped beet leaves. Take risotto off the heat, incorporate butter, Parmesan and lemon zest. Check the seasoning and serve with roasted roots around and parsley on top.

NOTES NOTES NOTES NOTES NOTES NOTES NOTES NOTES NOTES
  • a very refreshing and delicious Spring dish;
  • there is subtle sweetness from the roots and Parmesan and the green taste from the leaves;
  • lemons zest adds a necessary kick;
  • roasted baby roots are one of my favorite things to eat these days; 
  • not blanding them with the rice here, gave me something pretty to look it and gave the risotto an exciting color and flavor accent.

16 comments:

  1. I just love roasted beets and they are on the menu tonight. Your risotto looks so inviting :)

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  2. Awesome risotto! I don't see baby beets over here...not even in the farmer markets. They look so good.

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    1. Don't they? Here, in Poland, they are very common this time of the year. I find them in Lidl, where I usually shop.

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  3. Ela, this is wonderful! I love beets in any form and love how you paired it with all those lovely flavors in the risotto.

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  4. Love how you've prepared your beetroot. This sounds brilliant.

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  5. You always make me want beets! This dish looks so good!

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  6. I am coming over to your baby beet party Ela :D
    Delicious flavour risotto :)

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  7. Oh wow, how vibrant and delicious!

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  8. Love your risotto!These beetroots are soooo cute!
    Kisses,dear!

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  9. The baby beets roasted like that look so gorgeous and I am sure taste amazing. Really fun and creative risotto. Now I am hungry :-)

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  10. Your presentation with the beets is gorgeous Ela, looks like a great dish!

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  11. I adore beets, too, and love the sound of your gorgeous risotto!

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  12. Exquisite! This is such a wonderful risotto and those baby beets look really cute.

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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  13. I love how you cooked the baby beets and adding them to risitto, lovely sounding and looking. This is certainly my kind of dish :)

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  14. Colourful and wholesome - as always!

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  15. Hehe, the photos of the baby beets are adorable! Love how amazing they look in this risotto :)

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