BEETROOT

BEETROOT WITH ORANGE-SHERRY DRESSING AND SOFT HERBS

This is a pretty salad, wonderfully easy to pull together and gorgeous to eat. However, grappling with fresh beetroot can leave you and your kitchen looking a little bit like a butcher’s shop. Instead of boiling beetroot, wrap them in foil and they will steam-bake to perfect tenderness. This method saves on a lot of cleaning up time.

PREPARATION TIME: 20 minutes | COOKING TIME: 15 minutes | SERVES: 6

1.5 kg (3 lb 6 oz) medium beetroot (beets)

1 large shallot, finely chopped

¼ cup (60 ml/2 fl oz) sherry vinegar

finely grated zest and juice of 1 large orange

3 tablespoons chopped chives

3 tablespoons chopped raw almonds

small bunch chervil, roughly chopped

sea salt flakes and freshly ground pepper

Rinse the beetroot and cut the leaves off, leaving about a 3.5 cm (1½ in) stalk. Put the beetroot in a large pot, cover with water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the beetroot are tender. Drain in a colander and, when cool enough to handle, gently rub the surfaces to remove the skins and stalks. Sit the beetroot on thick paper towel to absorb some of the moisture and pat dry.

Put the shallot, vinegar, orange zest and juice, chives and almonds in a bowl and whisk lightly to blend. Add the chervil with salt and pepper to taste, and gently toss. Slice the beetroot, arrange on a platter and spoon the orange-herb dressing over. The salad is tastier if served at room temperature.

TIPS Try different varieties and colours of beetroot for a spectacular effect.

Chervil is a very soft aromatic herb closely related to parsley. Fresh parsley leaves are the closest substitute for chervil in appearance and taste.