Roasted beetroot salad with petite cress and orange vinaigrette
SERVES 4-6 This is a beautiful composed salad of micro-watercress, tiny roasted red and golden beets, and orange segments, drizzled with an orange vinaigrette. We like how the earthiness of the roasted beets complements the sweetness of the oranges.
680 gm mixed baby red and golden beetroot, with greens attached
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, preferably French
6 thyme sprigs
2 oranges
2 shallots, thinly sliced into rings
1 cup small or microwatercress
¼ cup flat-leaf parsley leaves ORANGE VINAIGRETTE 1 golden shallot (optional), finely chopped
1 tbsp orange juice
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, preferably French
Preheat oven to 205°C.
Trim the beetroot greens and reserve any small leaves to use in the salad. Place the leaves in a bowl of iced water to freshen and crisp.
Wash and scrub the beetroot to remove any dirt, then dry thoroughly. Place the red and golden beetroot on separate sheets of foil. Drizzle with the olive oil and season to taste. Place 3 thyme sprigs on top of each beetroot variety, wrap the foil around the beetroot to form packets and pinch the ends together to seal.
Place parcels on an oven tray and roast until tender (about 40 minutes; the beetroot are ready when you can easily pierce them through the centre with a paring knife). Stand until cool enough to handle.
Carefully peel beetroot with your fingers, then cut into halves or quarters, depending on their size. Set aside, keeping the colours separate.
Working with one orange at a time, peel oranges. Holding an orange over a bowl, cut along the membranes to release clean segments and let them fall into the bowl. Repeat with the second orange. Reserve juice for the orange vinaigrette.
For orange vinaigrette, place the shallot and orange juice in a large bowl. Add a pinch of salt and stand for shallots to soften absorb the flavour of the orange juice (10-30 minutes). Slowly add the oil in a steady stream, whisking continuously to emulsify the oil and orange juice. Season to taste with freshly ground black pepper.
Divide the beetroot among salad plates, arranging them in the centre. Place the orange segments, shallots, watercress, parsley, and any reserved small beetroot greens around the beetroot in a decorative fashion. Drizzle with the orange vinaigrette, season to taste and serve.