Food & Drink
Embrace the earthy sweetness of beetroot with duck, blue cheese and even in a chocolate cake, writes Neil Forbes of Cafe St Honoré
Neil Forbes celebrates the humble beetroot, plus Rose Murray Brown on the evolving style of Cape syrah
Some of us may recall school meals or selfservice restaurants in the Seventies or early Eighties. I remember queuing for a salad of limp lettuce, cold meat – usually ham – and sliced boiled egg with the obligatory grey ring around the yolk. Often staining the egg white was a slice of vibrant beetroot, shiny under the clingfilm wrap.
In that poor company, beetroot was always the highlight for me. I loved its sharp and sweet taste as it glistened under the harsh strip lights, which I am sure were on 24 hours a day.
For months at school I did get away with just ordering bowls of custard for my lunch. No-one said a word until my headmaster saw me spooning the bright yellow liquid into my gob. Yet another thick ear I think.
But that was the Seventies and now we are embracing beetroot again by gently pickling it in organic cider vinegar, roasting it with herbs, or even baking it in a salt crust. How far we have come.
I adore beetroot’s characteristic earthy flavour, packed full of sweetness with many great colours and varieties including candied and golden. I encourage you to keep it simple when cooking. It is a root to be cherished and adored, but best kept away from boiled eggs.
@chefneilforbes
Smoked duck, beetroot, orange, hazelnut, endive and watercress
Feel free to buy ready-made smoked duck as there are some excellent smoke houses in Scotland. If you can’t find duck, substitute venison or chicken. Orange is necessary as its citrus-sharp sweetness cuts through the rich fatty duck, while bitter endive or chicory with freshlyroasted hazelnuts bring the dish together. Some watercress makes for a wonderful final touch.
Serves four as a starter 1 large breast of duck, I buy mine from Gartmorn Farm near Alloa, it’s free-range and delicious 2 oranges, skin removed and cut into segments, retain the juice as a dressing 2 tbsp peeled hazelnuts, roasted and crushed 2 handfuls of watercress, thoroughly washed 2 beetroots, scrubbed, skin on and boiled for about 90 minutes until tender, remove skin by scraping under water, use different types to vary taste and colour 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil a few endive leaves ½ bottle of red wine 2 star anise a few peppercorns 50g dark brown sugar 50g salt (and extra for seasoning, as well as pepper) 1 shallot, peeled and sliced a few thyme sprigs 2 tbsp rice 2 tbsp oak smoke chips
1 Bring the wine, star anise, peppercorns, sugar, 50g of salt, shallot and thyme to the boil and cool. Place the duck breast into the cold brine and leave overnight in the fridge. Remove, pat dry and return to the fridge for a few hours to neutralise the saltiness with the sugar.
2 To hot smoke, make a small pillowcase with tin foil and make holes in the top sheet. Fill the foil parcel with the rice and oak smoke chips. Seal the edges up and place the pillow in an old pot or tray and place on a hob (with extraction) or on the barbecue outside. Lay a cooling wire on top of the pot and place the duck onto that. Then place another pot, upside down, on top of the duck creating an oven of sorts with enough room for the smoke to move around.
3 Turn the heat onto high and smoke the duck for between 10 and 15 minutes, do not leave this unattended, then remove the duck. Be careful as it’s hot and very smoky. Then place the duck into a hot oven (210C/gas Mark 7) for 5 to 10 minutes to finish the cooking. Remove the duck from the oven and allow to cool in the fridge or by a cool window before carving into slivers.
4 To assemble the dish, remove the skin from the beetroot, cut into wedges and arrange on plates with the endive leaves and orange segments. Lay slivers of duck onto the salads and top with watercress leaves and hazelnuts. Finish by trickling on the orange juice and the olive oil and seasoning with good salt and pepper.
Beetroot tart tatin with a salad of Blue Murder cheese, apple and endive
This is a classic dish, normally made with apple or pear but why not a veg? This recipe calls for beetroot, but fennel or shallots work just as well. It’s essentially just a simple caramel with blanched veg on puff pastry – very simple, tasty and impressive.
Serves one 1 large or 2 small beetroots, scrubbed and cooked in water on the hob for 90 minutes until tender, peel skin off under running water 1 tbsp sugar ½ tbsp butter 1 sprig of thyme 1 disc of puff pastry, ½ 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 tsp cold-pressed rapeseed oil 1 tsp Arran mustard 1 tsp honey good salt and pepper
1 Make a caramel by melting the sugar and butter together in a 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.
2 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 200C/ Gas Mark 6 for 15 to 20 minutes until golden and cooked.
3 Leave the tart to cool slightly otherwise it will fall apart. While 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 the lot a season with salt and pepper.
4 To serve, carefully tip the tart out of the pan and onto the plate and garnish with the salad. Serve immediately.
Beetroot and chocolate cake
Decades ago I remember hearing about putting veg in a cake and thinking, that will never take off, but here I am in a national newspaper telling people to grate beetroot into their chocolate cakes. The flavour of the earthy, sweet root veg works so well with the bitter chocolate and is also a way of retaining moisture, as chocolate cake can be a tad dry at times. Serve with a ganache and pouring cream.
Serves six to eight
250g of cooked beetroot, peeled and grated 50g good-quality cocoa powder, sifted 175g plain flour 2 tsp baking powder 250g caster sugar 3 eggs 200ml sunflower oil (and a little extra to line the tin) 100g dark chocolate 50g dark or milk chocolate for the ganache 50g butter
1 Oil and line a 9-inch spring-form cake tin. Heat the oven to 160C/gas Mark 3.
2 Melt the dark chocolate gently in a bowl over a pan of water just off the boil. Don’t allow the bowl to touch the water.
3 To make the cake, add the grated beetroot, eggs, cocoa powder and flour to a bowl and whisk with an electric whisk or in a mixer. Turn the speed setting down before adding the baking powder and sugar, then trickle in the sunflower oil a little at a time.
4 Add the melted chocolate and mix again ensuring all is combined using a spatula. Scrape the cake mix into the cake tin and bake for 40 minutes. Check if it’s cooked by inserting a cocktail stick – if it comes out clean, it’s cooked. If not, cook for a further 10 minutes.
5 Allow the cake to cool slightly in the tin, then remove and place on a wire rack. Make sure it’s properly cooled before adding any icing.
6 This cake works great on its own, or top with a simple ganache made by combining 50g of melted chocolate with 50g of melted and cooled butter. Serve with a lovely cuppa.