Smoked trout & baby beetroot cake-tin salad

• SERVES 8 •

Moulding a salad in a cake tin is a creative way of preparing ahead of time and also has great wow factor!

350 g (12 oz) small beetroot (beets), a combination of red and yellow

extra virgin olive oil, to drizzle

2 teaspoons raspberry vinegar (or lemon juice)

650 g (1 lb 7 oz) kipfler potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 cm (⅜ inch) cubes

200 g (7 oz) stringless green beans, chopped into 1 cm (⅜ inch) pieces

2 tablespoons creamed horseradish

85 g (3 oz/⅓ cup) sour cream

85 g (3 oz/⅓ cup) mayonnaise

1 tablespoon baby capers

2 tablespoons chopped dill

3 spring onions (scallions), halved lengthways and thinly sliced

3 whole hot-smoked rainbow trout, skinned, deboned and flaked

sprigs of chervil or dill, for serving

STEAM the beetroot in a steamer over a saucepan of boiling water with the lid on for 20–30 minutes, until just soft. Using your fingers, peel the skin off under cold running water. Drain and cut into 1 cm (⅜ inch) cubes.

PUT the red and yellow beetroot in separate bowls so they don’t discolour. Lightly drizzle over some olive oil and vinegar and season with salt. Set aside.

PREPARE the potatoes and beans. Put the potatoes in a large saucepan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil over high heat. Boil for 8–10 minutes until cooked through but still firm. Drain and cool slightly. Meanwhile, steam the beans in a colander placed over the potatoes for about 2 minutes. Refresh the beans in cold water. Drain and allow to cool.

COMBINE the horseradish, sour cream, mayonnaise, capers and dill in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. When the potatoes have cooled slightly, but are still warm, toss them in the horseradish mixture with the beans and spring onions.

ASSEMBLE by lightly greasing and lining the base and sides of a 20 cm (8 inch) diameter cake tin with plastic wrap, allowing extra wrap to overhang at the edge. This will be the cover once the tin is filled.

SCATTER the yellow and red beetroot cubes evenly to cover the base of the tin, then top with the flaked trout spread in an even layer.

SPOON the potato mixture over the trout, patting down gently with the back of the spoon to make it level.

ENCLOSE by folding over the overhanging plastic wrap and pressing gently to compact.

REFRIGERATE for 1 hour to set.

SERVE by removing the covering plastic wrap, placing a large flat plate over the cake tin and turning the salad out upside down. Remove the tin and plastic wrap. Garnish with fresh chervil and slice like a cake.