For this recipe, I’m doing a few things to up the flavour of the humble beetroot.
I like to roast my beetroots on a bed of salt. Roasting intensifies the flavour, while the salt slowly and gently makes its way into the beetroot, adding more flavour still. You can boil them instead, or use already cooked ones from the supermarket, but be aware you’ll start at a flavour disadvantage.
Step two is to infuse more flavour with a marinade. Vinegar is a very common way to balance and bring out the sweetness of the beetroot’s natural flavour, but here, I’ve added more depth by taking a cue from the ingredients of southeastern Turkey.
The sweet and sourness of pomegranate molasseses is an excellent match, but make sure to buy the real stuff made from 100% pomegranate. It’s more sour than it is sweet, and way punchier in flavour than the substitute versions made primarily with flavoured glucose syrup. A little bit goes a long way, so it’s well worth paying the extra dollars.
Sumac, a sour spice made from the dried berries of sumac shrubs, was widely used to add acidity to food before the arrival of lemons. This is where the comparison stops, though, because sumac has an incredible depth of flavour compared to the monotone acidity of lemon. Perfect for our marinade.
With the beetroot marinating, the final step is to add complementary flavours. Feta cream, a blend of salty feta cheese and tangy yoghurt, is a beatiful match for sweet and sour beets. A little pistachio add crunch, wholesomeness and colour, while greenery, in the form of dill, makes me happy just looking at the plate, whilst also adding a freshness that makes the dish feel even lighter.
Serving suggestions
This dish makes for a wonderfully autumnal starter, but it’s also an excellent side to roast lamb or game meat.
To make it a veggie meal, serve alongside a spiced rice pilaf with legumes, such as mujadarrah or iç pilavı.
Marinated beetroots with feta cream & pistachios
Ingredients
- 500 g beetroot
- 30–40 g salt, I use coarse
- 40 g pistachios (unsalted)
- 5 g dill
Marinade
- 1 Tbsp pomegranate molasses
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- ½ Tbsp wine vinegar, or another vinegar you like
- 1 tsp sumac, plus extra to garnish
- 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, I use a mild one
- salt and pepper
Feta cream
- 125 g Greek yoghurt
- 100 g feta cheese, finely crumbled
How I make it
- Preheat the oven to
220 °C. Line a baking sheet with parchment. - Add plenty of salt to an oven tray and place the beetroots on top. The beetroots should be whole and unpeeled. I use 30–40 g coarse salt, but regular is fine and the amount isn't very important – just be generous. Bake in the middle of the oven until you can easily pierce through with a sharp knife, anything from 45 minutes to a couple of hours, depending on the size of your beetroots. Set aside to cool.
- Mix together all the ingredients for the marinade. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Peel and chop the beetroots into bite size chunks and add to the marinade (discard the peel and salt). Mix and leave at room temperature for half an hour.
- Meanwhile, mix the yoghurt with the crumbled feta cheese. I like it chunky and make do with a fork or spoon for this, but use a mixer if you prefer it completely smooth.
- Heat a small, thick bottomed frying pan over medium heat. Toast the pistachios in a dry pan for a few minutes, shaking the pan regularly to avoid burning. You could also use the oven while the beetroots are roasting, in which case 4–5 minutes should suffice. Cool and chop roughly.
- When ready to eat, add most of the beetroot chunks and a little of the marinade to a large or two smaller serving plates. The chunks should fit nicely in one layer. Divide most of the feta cream in between. Add the remaining beets, the remaining feta cream and as much of the marinade as you like. Top with pistachios, dill and a sprinkle of sumac. Serve at once.
