Beetroot with red wine

The first thing I should say about this recipe is that it takes a long time to cook. There aren't many ingredients and the preparation is simple but, depending on the type of beetroot you use, you could be stewing it for over an hour before it becomes tender. If, however, you have the time, this recipe is definitely worth trying.

It's not often I am so enthusiastic about using alchoholic beverages for cooking (see cabbage and beer soup for more ruminations on the subject). There are, however, two ways of looking at the situation. It could be viewed as either a waste of good red wine, or a nice excuse for opening a bottle. When I decided to try this recipe, I didn't have any wine at home so I went out and bought some. As I only needed one large glassful for the recipe, Sveta and I enjoyed the rest of the bottle, which, having had time to breathe while I cooked the beetroot, was thoroughly delicious. I think in this case, adopting the latter point of view was most appropriate.

You can use any kind of dry red wine. Given that you get to drink most of the bottle, I would choose a good quality one if I were you. I used a nice local wine, from the Turgen Valley in the foothills of the Tien Shan Mountains.

Ingredients

500g beetroot
3 or 4 dessertspoons of olive oil
1 large glass of dry red wine
3 cloves of garlic
1 bay leaf
A few crushed black peppercorns
Salt

Peel the beetroot and cut each one in half. Slice the halves very thinly. The thinner you make the slices, the less time they will take to cook. Lay the slices in a heavy frying pan and pour over the oil and two thirds of the wine. Bury the bay leaf in the middle. Stew the beetroot on a low to medium heat for 20 to 25 minutes, after which you will have to add a splash of water to stop the pieces sticking and burning.

Continue stewing, adding a little water as required until you think the beetroot is getting close to being well cooked. Sprinkle on the pepper and pour over the rest of the wine. Stew for another five or ten minutes. While the beetroot is stewing, chop the garlic finely and sprinkle salt on it. When the beetroot is ready, stir in the garlic and salt and serve.

This dish is nice served with boiled potatoes and maybe a spoonful of sour cream. A green salad would complete the picture.

more beetroot recipes