Hasselback Beets with Eggplant Tahini Sauce
Hasselback means to cut little cuts all the way across a vegetable and then roast a second time to caramelize the outside and allow flavor to penetrate all the way to the center. Serve these beets with any sort of accompaniment but this is how we served them at a farm dinner in June.
Ingredients
1 bunch beets, greens removed
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 eggplant
1/2 cup tahini
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup chili crisp
Method
- Heat oven to 400F
- Place the beets in a roasting pan with the vinegar and a splash of water and sprinkle of salt
- Cover tightly with a lid or tinfoil and roast until the beets are tender then remove and peel
- While the beets are roasting, prick the eggplant all over and place on a baking sheet and roast until the flesh collapses
- Allow the eggplant to cool and then remove the flesh from the skin of the eggplant and, in a food processor, blend with the tahini and a good drizzle of olive oil and pinch of salt to make a smooth sauce
- Slice the beets 3/4 of the way through every 1/8 inch all the way across the root
- Just before serving, drizzle the beets with olive oil and a pinch of salt and roast again to warm and caramelize the outside
- Serve the beets atop the eggplant sauce and drizzle liberally with the chili crisp
