Recipes

Charred Beets with Goat Cheese and Honey

A plate of charred beets over goat cheese with honey, from Ilda

Image by Evan Anderson

You can’t go wrong with this all-time favorite combination of ingredients. The way chef Santiago Guzzetti prepares it at Ilda is to not peel the beets and let the charred skin be the star. It’ll be a dish your guests talk about for a long time to come. You can also roast the beets in a hot oven—it won’t give you the same charring effect but still tastes delicious

recipe

yields

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

8 baby beets with leaves reserved
¼ cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup goat cheese
Zest of 1 lemon
¼ cup raw honey

steps

Separate the stems and leaves from beets and set leaves aside for garnish. Coat beets in olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Prepare afire and let the charcoal burndown to embers, but maintain a heat of about 300 to 350 degrees. Place the beets directly onto the charcoal embers and cook until tender, about 1 hour. Use a skewer to test for doneness; there should be no resistance. Remove beets using tongs or heat proof gloves and set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, or using electric beaters, whisk the heavy cream for about 5 minutes until it starts to stiffen. Add goat cheese and continue whisking until it reaches a smooth, fluffy consistency. Season with salt, pepper, and lemon zest.
Cut roasted beets in half. Spread whipped goat cheese mixture onto the bottom of a serving plate and place beets on top. Drizzle with honey and garnish with beet leaves.

Date Published: 12.05.22