Down the beet path
It took a good long while for me to reconcile with the flavor of beets. I eyed them from the sidelines, attracted to the striking colors of their nutrientrich flesh, yet wary of their earthy flavor. As a cook, I wished to like beets, and as a parent, I wanted to serve them — so I willed myself to eat beets until I learned to love them.
At first, I took baby steps. I nibbled small bites. I doused them with citrus. I grew bolder and roasted beets in olive oil, and discovered that fire and char nicely counteract their earthy flavor. My go-to beet became the golden variety, which is pleasantly mild and nutty. Eventually, I succeeded; with time, my family followed me down the beet path and became converts.
This recipe is one of my favorite ways to eat beets, especially in the winter, when rich gratins are warm and satisfying. It's also a great way to introduce the beetroot to any skeptical family members. Small or baby beets are mild and sweet, and their flavor is less assertive than their grown-up relatives. In this recipe, they are thinly sliced and smothered in layers of garlic-infused sour cream flecked with orange zest and a generous shower of nutty Gruyere cheese. All the ingredients meld together, and while the beets are present, they are not overwhelming in flavor. As they cook, the beets release their juices and saturate the dish with spectacular color, which makes this one of the prettiest gratins I have seen.
So give it a try, and let the skeptics eat with their eyes — and also, hopefully, with a fork.
Roasted Beet Gratin
Active time: 30 minutes Total time: 1 hour and 30 minutes
Yield: makes 1 (8-by8-inch) gratin or 6 (4-ounce) ramekins
Unsalted butter
2 cups (16 ounces) whole milk sour cream
1 garlic clove, minced 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
½ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
16 baby beets, about 2 pounds trimmed, scrubbed clean
4 ounces finely grated
Gruyere cheese
Finely chopped thyme leaves
Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter an 8-by8-inch square gratin dish (or 6 individual ramekins). Whisk the sour cream, garlic, orange zest, ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper in a bowl.
Thinly slice the beets with a mandolin or knife. Arrange 1/3 of the beets in the baking dish so they're slightly overlapping. Spoon
1/3 of the sour cream mixture over the beets, carefully spreading to cover. Sprinkle 1/3 of the cheese over the top. Lightly season with salt, pepper and a pinch of thyme. Repeat with two more layers.
Transfer the gratin to the oven and bake until the beets are tender and the gratin is bubbly and golden, about 50 minutes. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm.