Salt-Crust Roasted Beets

Pour half the coarse salt into a deep baking dish to create a 2 cm bed. Nestle the whole, unpeeled beets on the salt, spacing them so they do not touch. Pour the remaining salt over and around the beets to cover them completely — they should be fully buried with no beet surface visible. The salt draws moisture out slowly and creates a sealed, even-temperature cooking environment, concentrating sugars far more than conventional roasting.

Roast in a preheated 190 C (375 F) oven for 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours. The salt will partially harden into a crust. To test for doneness, push a thin metal skewer through the salt into the largest beet — it should pass through with no resistance, like pushing into room-temperature butter. Small beets take 80 minutes; very large ones may need 2 hours 15 minutes.

Crack the salt crust with a spoon and remove the beets. The skin will peel off in large pieces using just your fingers and a paper towel (wear gloves if you don't want to stain your hands deep red for a day). Slice, quarter, or serve whole. Dress immediately with olive oil and a few drops of red wine vinegar or balsamic to add brightness to the concentrated sweetness.