Hasselback Beets with Lemon Thyme Butter | Ottolenghi’s Flavor

Hasselback beets are the logical next-step as well as the vegetable alternative to hasselback potatoes. The beets fan out along the thin slices cut crosswise, but not all the way through. It’s a technique first introduced in the 1940s. The name Hasselback comes from a restaurant in Stockholm, Sweden, named Hasselbacken. The reason for the cut is the deliciously crispy edges you get all over the surface. Meanwhile, adding a little flair to your favorite veggies — why not?

Cut slits in the beets at 1/8-inch intervals, or as thin as you possible can, stopping about 3/8-inch from the bottom so that the slices stay connected. It’s a big help to place one beet in the cup of a wooden spoon to get a solid hold while stop cutting just above the bottom of the beet. Nevertheless, cutting precisely is dependent on the knife being very sharp. With the right tool, it may even be fun. Try wielding and cutting with one of those handcrafted Japanese knives with a thin blade with incredible cutting performance. Hasselbacking would challenge the knife skills of any home cooks. On this day, I’m ready to put my Japanese knives and skills to the test.

The original recipe from Ottolenghi’s Flavor uses fresh makrut lime leaves. Where do I get makrut lime leaves? Instead, I use lemon thyme which I grow in my vegetable patch. No worry, there are other appropriate substitutions if makrut lime leaves or lemon thyme are not available to you. In fact, there is a long list of citrus-flavored aromatic alternatives. Consider bay leaf, curry leaf, lemongrass, or lime leaf, zest and juice. Notably, the fun is in exploring a variety of flavor ingredients.

If roast beets are not enough, there are other fixings that are every bit as satisfying. On the bottom of the dish, a yogurt cream which furnishes a smooth base. The lime sauce/salsa are dotted all over the hasselback beets. The finishing touch is the lime butter infused with lemon thyme, ginger and garlic. Nothing enhances the dish more than a compound butter — a must have.

Print Recipe

Hasselback Beets with Lime Leaf / Lemon Thyme Butter | Ottolenghi's Flavor

By Yotam Ottolenghi – Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 8-10 medium-large beetroots (that’s about 2 bunches), skin on (1.2kg)
• or 8-10 ready-cooked beetroots (1kg)
• Flaked sea salt
• FOR THE LIME BUTTER
• 90g unsalted butter
• 40ml olive oil
• 5 fresh makrut lime leaves, chopped (I use lemon thyme)
• 10g fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 tbsp lime juice, plus 2 tsp to serve
• FOR THE LIME SAUCE
• 10 fresh makrut lime leaves, stalks removed and very finely chopped (I use lemon thyme)
• ½ tsp fresh ginger, peeled and very finely chopped
• ½ garlic clove, crushed
• ½ green chilli, very finely chopped (deseeded for less heat)
• 1 tbsp coriander leaves, chopped
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• FOR THE YOGURT CREAM
• 80ml double cream
• 90g Greek-style yoghurt

Instructions

1

Heat the oven to 220C (200C fan)/ 425F/gas 7. Place the beets in a baking dish in a single layer. Fill with water to 2cm up the sides, sprinkle on one tablespoon of salt, cover tightly with foil and bake for one hour and 20 minutes, or until a knife goes through easily. Discard water and, when cool enough, peel off the skin under cold running water (wear gloves to avoid staining). Halve larger beetroots lengthways. Reduce oven temperature to 190C.

2

FOR THE LIME-INFUSED BUTTER: While the beetroots are cooking, put the butter, oil, lime leaves, ginger and garlic into a small pan on a medium-high heat. Gently cook until the butter begins to bubble, about four minutes, then set aside to infuse for at least 40 minutes. Discard the aromatics, then stir in one tablespoon of lime juice and one teaspoon of flaked salt.

3

FOR THE LIME SAUCE: Mix all the ingredients in a small bowl with a quarter-teaspoon of flaked salt, and set aside.

4

FOR THE YOGURT CREAM: In a medium bowl, whip the cream, yoghurt and a pinch of flaked salt until light and fluffy, with medium-stiff peaks, about three minutes. Refrigerate until ready to use.

5

Cut slits in the peeled beetroots at 4mm intervals, stopping about 1cm from the bottom. Place on a small parchment-lined baking tray and fan the slices out. Spoon the melted butter evenly over, especially between the slices. Roast for one and a quarter hours, basting very well every 20 minutes or so, until the edges are crisp and caramelised. Set aside to cool for 15 minutes.

6

Spread the yoghurt cream on a platter, then arrange the beets on top, spooning the butter over. Drizzle over the salsa, finish with remaining lime juice and serve at once.

Notes

Adapted from Ottolenghi's Flavor https://www.theguardian.com/food/2020/aug/22/tempura-herbs-and-hasselback-beetroot-eight-flavour-packed-new-veg-recipes-from-yotam-ottolenghi