The humble beet is the latest recipient of the salt-baked craze, following on from the traditions of salt-baked fish in Italy, and salt-baked chicken in China.

French chef Alain Passard was the first to turn salt-baked beetroot into a Michelin star at his Parisian restaurant L'Arpege in 2001, serving his betterave rouge en croute de sel Guerande with high drama - and aged balsamic vinegar - at the table. Word spread, and now any beetroot not found huddled inside a salt crust turns puce with embarrassment.

Where are they?

Chef Joe Grbac gives beetroot a room of its own at Melbourne's award-winning Saint Crispin, with a vegetarian main course of salt-baked beetroot with puy lentils, watercress, horseradish, walnut, cumin and sumac. ''Salt-baking not only steams the beetroot, but seasons it as well,'' he says.

At Cafe Opera in Sydney's Hotel Intercontinental, executive chef Tamas Pamer pairs butter-poached marron with salt-roasted beets, pickled kohlrabi and a fluff of blue cheese; the salt infused with preserved lemon, olive oil, pepper and rosemary for added interest.

''Slow-cooking beetroot in salt makes it really intense and strongly flavoured,'' he says. ''It means you get the maximum flavour you can from the vegetable.''

At Russo & Russo in Sydney's Enmore, chef Jason Saxby salt-bakes beetroot for a dish of house-made ricotta, sweet-and-sour quandong, bitter honey and basil. Saxby says salt-baking is not so much a trend as a classic technique.

''It draws out some of the moisture and intensifies the flavour,'' he says, ''just like dry-ageing beef.''

Why do I care?

Because the ruby-red baubles that emerge are the most intensely fruity, earthy beetroot ever.

Can I do them at home?

Very easily. Serve as a vegetable first course, or to accompany roast lamb. They shouldn't taste too salty, but if they do, rub the skins off and discard before serving.

SALT-BAKED BEETS

Serve with balsamic vinegar, horseradish cream or crumbled goat's cheese and watercress.

200g coarse sea salt

200g fine salt

2 egg whites, lightly beaten

250g plain flour

2 rosemary sprigs, de-stalked

125ml water

6 medium beetroot

extra virgin olive oil to serve

1. To make the salt crust, place the two salts, egg whites, flour, rosemary leaves and most of the water in a food processor and whiz until combined. Add the remaining water until the mixture forms a firm dough that isn't too sticky. Tip out the dough and squish together into a ball, cover with plastic wrap and set aside for two hours.

2. Heat the oven to 170C. Scrub the beetroot and closely trim, but do not peel.

3. Roll out the dough on a bench and cut into six pieces. Place a beetroot on top of each one, and press the dough up and over each beetroot until completely sealed.

4. Bake for 1½ hours, then crack open the crust, brush the beetroot with olive oil and serve.

Makes 6

Sourcing

VIC

Saint Crispin, 300 Smith Street, Collingwood, 03 9419 2202, saintcrispin.com.au

NSW

Cafe Opera, Intercontinental Sydney, 117 Macquarie Street, Sydney, 02 9253 9000, interconsydney.com.au/cafeopera/

Russo & Russo, 158 Enmore Road, Enmore, 02 8068 5202, russoandrusso.net.au