Beet and Butternut Salad

Base Ingredients:

245g beetroot

(to boil: 1.5L water + 1 tbsp salt + 2g star anise + 3g Juniper berries + 3g coriander seed)

200g butternut squash (the top end of the vegetable)

42g whole raw walnuts

(marinade: ½ tbsp herb oil + ½ tsp salt + 2 tsp good quality dried oregano)

60g Fromage de Chevre (or any soft goat’s cheese)

10g rocket

To Plate:

3g dill

Pinch of salt

Black pepper

2g fresh ground fennel seeds

Horseradish Cream

ingredients:

Yield: 58g/ to serve: 20g

20g/2 tbsp fresh grated horseradish

2 tbsp crème fraiche

½ lemon

Pinch of salt

Method:

Mix well and set aside.

Dresssing/marinade

ingredients:

Yield: 75g/ to serve: 50g

¼ cup walnut oil

Juice of one orange (save the zest to plate)

1 clove/7g of garlic

1 tsp honey

½ tsp salt

1 tbsp aged high quality balsamic

1 tsp red wine vinegar

Method:

Blend well and set aside.

Salad

Method:

Heat the oven to 180C. Make the dressing. Bring all the ingredients to boil the beets into a large enough pot and boil whole for about 45 minutes or until a fork can easily pierce through. Drain, let cool, and then peel away the skins and stems and set aside. Marinate in 2 tbsp of the dressing plus a pinch of salt.

Place the walnuts on a baking sheet and toast in oven ten minutes. Lightly crush with a pestle. Place in remaining marinade and set aside.  

Heat a grill pan. Slice the squash from the top end of the vegetable into thin rounds. Grill on both sides, about 7 to 8 minutes per side. Set aside. Make the horseradish cream.

Slice the beets thinly on a mandolin. Plate around a large flat plate in a circular pattern, add the butternut slices in between in places. Take the walnuts from the marinade. Sprinkle them over the salad, then the rocket. Take tiny pinches of the cheese and dot around. Do the same for horseradish cream. Sprinkle the dish with the salt, fresh ground pepper, and crushed fennel seeds. Sprinkle with orange zest and dill. Serve the dressing on the side.