Recipe · Beets
Roman Beets with Mead (Beets à la Varro)
Ingredients
- 2 lb beets, scrubbed well (peel after cooking if the skins are tough; young beets can keep the skin)
- 1 cup mead, or 3/4 cup dry white wine mixed with 1/4 cup honey and a splash of water (stands in for mead)
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Optional: 1 small chicken, cut up, or 4 bone-in chicken thighs, for a one-pot meal as the text suggests
Directions
- Trim the beet tops. Leave small beets whole; cut large ones into halves or quarters so the pieces are about the same size.
- Put the beets in a pot that holds them in a single layer as much as possible. Add the mead (or wine-honey mix), salt, and oil. If using chicken, nestle the pieces among the beets and add a little more liquid so everything is partly covered.
- Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook gently 35 to 50 minutes, until the beets are tender when pierced and most of the liquid has cooked down into a glossy syrup. Uncover near the end if you need to reduce it further.
- Taste the cooking liquid for salt. Serve the beets warm, spooning the reduced liquor over them. The leftover syrup makes a good sip or sauce for bread. If you cooked chicken with them, serve it alongside.
Slow cooker option
Combine everything in the slow cooker. Cook on low 5 to 6 hours or on high 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours, until the beets (and chicken, if using) are tender. If the liquid is thin, pour it into a saucepan and boil it down for a few minutes before serving.
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