“A big seller at the restaurant and now in season. Beetroot can be overly sweet at times, but here the bitter leaves and blue cheese cut through. It works well as a main course alternative to meat or fish. Try shallots, red onions, or other roots for variation.”
Serves 1
Prep time: 0.5 hours; Cooking time: 2 hours
INGREDIENTS
1 large or 2 small beetroots, scrubbed and cooked in water on the hob for 1 .5 hours until tender, peel skin off under running water
1 tablespoon of sugar
1/2 tablespoon of butter
1 sprig of thyme
1 disc of puff pastry, 1/2 cm thick cut to the same size as the blini pan
1 endive, cut into leaves and shards
A few toasted nuts
A few radish slices
A few slices of apple, cut into sticks
A few cubes of Blue Murder cheese or any other blue cheese of your liking
1 teaspoon of cold-pressed rapeseed oil
1 teaspoon wholegrain mustard
1 teaspoon honey
Good salt and pepper
METHOD
Firstly, make a caramel by melting the sugar and butter together in the cast iron blini pan until it’s golden and caramelised. Then take the sprig of thyme and place it into the centre of the caramel. Next cut the beetroot into chunky pieces, and place onto the thyme and caramel. Cover the beetroot with the disc of pastry and prick a hole into the top and bake into a hot oven 200°C for 15 to 20 minutes until golden and cooked.
Leave the tart to cool slightly otherwise it will fall apart. Whilst it’s resting, make the salad by adding the cheese to a bowl with the endive, apple, a few radish slices and some toasted nuts. Make a dressing by mixing together the oil, honey and mustard and drizzle over before giving it a season with salt and pepper.
To serve, carefully tip out the tart out of the pan and onto the plate and garnish with the salad. Serve immediately.