Rather than boiling beetroot, I prefer to roast it as the texture is much denser and the natural sugars are caramelized during cooking. It pays to invest in a box of disposable gloves to prevent dyed red fingers.
Serves: 6
INGREDIENTS
1 kilogram beetroot
3 tablespoons olive oil
¾ cup water
2 bunches broccolini
1-2 containers of fresh bocconcini in whey, drained (I used Clevedon Valley Buffalo)
Dressing
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic, crushed
pinch of brown sugar
1 teaspoon wholegrain mustard
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 180˚C.
Peel the beetroot and cut into wedges. Place in a roasting dish and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper and pour in the water. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 50 minutes or until tender when pierced with a skewer. Uncover and cook for another 5 minutes. Cool.
Blanch the broccolini in boiling salted water until crisp tender. Drain and refresh in cold water. Drain again and place on kitchen towels.
Dressing: Whisk all the ingredients in a bowl and season.
To assemble: Toss the beetroot with half the dressing and place on a serving platter with the broccolini. Break the bocconcini into chunks and place alongside the vegetables. Spoon the remaining dressing over the broccolini and drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper.
Cook’s tip: Use broccoli if broccolini proves hard to find.
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In Dream Escape, we journey from Japan and Morocco to Italy, India and beyond, sharing recipes inspired by travel, heritage and comfort. We celebrate the champions of the Outstanding Food Producer Awards, explore the stories and recipes of chefs shaped by their cultural roots, and warm up with everything from West African soups and slow-braised lamb to porchetta, butter chicken and beef noodle soup. Alongside destination menus, Scandinavian sweets and cosy pub classics, Chrisanne Terblanche shares her favourite street-side dining spots in Bangkok, while Yvonne Lorkin explores red wine varietals. This issue, we invite you to slow down, turn the pages and escape through food.