Beets Anna with Maple Butter

Author Notes

My husband hates beets. I mean really hates them - he hates the taste, hates the smell of them roasting in the oven, hates what they look like as they recline gloriously in the refrigerator. So since he's out of town this week, and the theme is roots, I HAD to make something with beets. All evidence of the crime will be completely erased by the time he gets home on Saturday. And that's not easy with beets.

I've done beets a million ways, but this week I had something new in mind. I wanted to try to layer them in a Pommes Anna style and roast them. Honestly, I ran out of time to try various ways of doing the roasting, but what I can tell you is that the way I did it worked like a charm. I first roasted the beets wrapped in foil until they were just tender, sliced them as thinly as I could manage and then layered them in an oven-proof pan, layered with a sauce made of reduced apple cider, butter and maple syrup. I added a few sprigs of fresh time on top and sealed it all in foil to roast again. I reserved some of the yummy sauce to pour on it when it came out of the oven. The result was a tender, beautiful Beets Anna scented lightly with thyme that just melted in my mouth with the maple butter. It held together beautifully and kept its shape when sliced, which I had been concerned about since beets can be slippery little devils. The overall result: sublime.

I chose not to go with a topping and just kept it simple, but you could top this with crumbled bacon or some cracked walnuts. - ChezSuzanne —TheWimpyVegetarian

Test Kitchen Notes

Beets are a divider food; I happen to be on the "love 'em" side of the dividing line so I was thrilled to test ChezSuzanne's glorious recipe. If you are a beet fan, do not hesitate to make this dish. The beets are roasted then assembled into an elegant presentation. The maple butter is a little tangy from the cider, and it melds perfectly with the earthy sweetness of the beets. The thyme gently perfumes the whole dish. Make sure to season well with salt and pepper, lest the dish be too sweet. I used a regular 8-inch sauté pan, and sprayed it with some non-stick cooking spray before assembly. I flipped mine over as described in the recipe, but removed the pan immediately. The beet "cake" stayed perfectly intact in all its jewel-toned, glistening glory. This is delicious as is, and even better with a sprinkle of toasted walnuts and gorgonzola. I highly recommend you make this for any beet lover you want to impress. - hardlikearmour —hardlikearmour