Roast Beetroot, Honey Hazelnuts and Goat’s Curd

BY RICHARD CORNISH

The beetroots from Captain’s Creek Organics are so full of colour and flavour you can grate them raw and add them to a salad. But by cooking them you help transform some of the starch into sugar making them a little sweeter and less earthy. The colours of some of the beetroots are like rubies when cooked so this dish highlights the colours with contrasting sharp white goat curd and golden honey covered hazelnuts. A great side dish with grilled meats or serve with other veg dishes for a complete meal.

Serves 4-6

2 bunches Captains Creek Organic Beetroot
75g hazelnuts
1 tablespoon honey
½ teaspoon soy sauce
30g fromage frais or chèvre
Juice ½ lemon
Extra virgin olive oil to drizzle
Salt and pepper
Radish microgreens to garnish

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Wash and trim the beetroot. Roast in a tray for 50-60 minutes. Or until soft in the centre when tested with a skewer.

Meanwhile roast the hazelnuts on a small tray for 10 minutes. While still hot lay out on a clean dish cloth, gather the cloth up and scrunch the nuts around to help remove the skin. Remove the hazelnuts from the cloth, brush away the skins, return the hazelnuts to the dishcloth, cover and lightly crush the nuts with a rolling pin. Place the nuts in a small saucepan with the honey and soy sauce and cook over a low heat until the honey browns and bubbles. Remove from heat. Spread out on a tray covered with baking paper and place in the freezer.

When the beetroots are cooked, allow to cool enough to handle, remove skins – they should come off by hand. Cut into pieces, sprinkle with salt and pepper, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice. Spoon over a little fromage frais, sprinkle over the hazelnuts. Garnish with micro herbs.

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