Beets with Lemon & Almonds (America's Test Kitchen)

By zircon50

To ensure even cooking, we recommend using beets that are of similar size­roughly 2­3 inches in diameter. The beets can be served warm or at room temperature. If serving at room temperature, wait to sprinkle with almonds and herbs until right before serving.

Ingredients

• 1 1⁄2 lbs beets, trimmed and halved horizontally 1 1⁄4 cups water
• salt and pepper
• 3 Tbsp white vinegar
• 1 Tbsp packed light brown sugar
• 1 shallot, sliced thin
• 1 tsp grated lemon zest
• 1 ⁄2 cup whole almonds, toasted and chopped 2 Tbsp chopped fresh mint
• 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme

Preparation

Step 1

Place beets, cut side down, in single layer in 11­inch straight­sided sauté pan or Dutch oven. Add water and 1⁄4 tsp salt; bring to simmer over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until beets are tender and tip of paring knife inserted into beets meets no resistance, 45­50 minutes.

Transfer beets to cutting board. Increase heat to medium­high and reduce cooking liquid, stirring occasionally, until pan is almost dry, 5­6 minutes. Add vinegar and sugar; return to boil; and cook, stirring constantly with heat­resistant spatula, until spatula leaves wide trail when dragged through glaze, 1­2 minutes. Remove pan from heat.

When beets are cool enough to handle, rub off skins with paper towel or dish towel and cut into 1⁄2­inch wedges. Add beets, shallot, lemon zest, 1⁄2 tsp salt, and 1⁄4 tsp pepper to glaze and toss to coat. Transfer beets to serving dish; sprinkle with almonds, mint, and thyme; and serve.

Variations:
Omit thyme. Substitute lime zest for lemon zest, toasted pepitas for almonds, and cilantro for mint.

Substitute orange zest for lemon zest; walnuts, toasted and chopped, for almonds; and parsley for mint