Beetroot tart with blood orange winter leaf salad
This dinner is as beautiful as it is tasty, as the tart is decorated with beetroot roses, marigolds and herb shoots.
Ingredients
For the pickled beetroot
- 300ml/10fl oz white wine vinegar
- 200g/7oz caster sugar
- 20²µ/¾´Ç³ú salt
- 3 star anise
- 5 medium–large red beetroot, topped and tailed
For the tart cases
For the dukkah
- 4 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
- 1 tbsp cumin seeds, toasted
- 1 tbsp fennel seeds, toasted
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds, toasted
- pinch dried chilli powder or espelette pepper powder
- pinch salt
For the toasted pistachios
- 100g/3½oz shelled pistachios
- drizzle olive oil
- pinch salt
For the ricotta mixture
- 400g/14oz ricotta
- 200ml/7fl oz whipping cream
- 120²µ/4¼´Ç³ú Parmesan, finely grated
- 1 lemon, juice and fine zest
- 1 tbsp runny honey
- pinch freshly ground black pepper
- pinch salt
For the bitter leaves
- ½ head Castelfranco
- ½ head Rosella, leaves separated
- 2 heads Grumullo, leaves separated
- ½ head Punterella, leaves separated
- ½ head Tardivo, leaves separated
For the blood orange dressing
- 1 blood oranges, juice and fine zest
- 125ml/4fl oz white balsamic vinegar
- 20²µ/¾´Ç³ú caster sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 125ml/4fl oz olive oil
For the salad
- 4 blood oranges, peeled and cut into segments
- 200g/7oz cooked unpearled spelt
- 4 spring onions, finely sliced on the angle
To finish
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
- 1 tbsp edible marigold pluches
- a few pea shoots
- 1 tbsp perilla shoots
Method
To make the pickled beetroot, place 1 litre/1¾ pint water, white wine vinegar, sugar, salt and star anise in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Peel the beetroot going around the beetroot, not down it, so it stays a smooth round shape, not an octagon. Use a wide mandolin to slice the beetroot into thin slices and place in a large bowl. Pour over the vinegar mixture and leave overnight, in the fridge.
Drain the beetroot slices. In a line, overlap approximately 15 beetroot slices to form a long chain. Fold over and roll from right to left to shape into a rose head. Repeat until you have enough roses to cover the tart. Set aside.
To make the tart cases, preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4 and line a 22cm/8.6in tart tin with baking paper. Place the lined tart tin on a baking tray and brush the tart tin with garlic oil.
Brush both sides of each pastry sheet with the garlic oil and layer them on top of each other. Gently drape the pastry stack into the lined tin. Using the back of your palm to carefully push the pastry into the corners of the tin and up the sides. The pastry will have an organic shape. Put in the oven and bake for 20 minutes until golden and crisp.
To make the dukkah, mix all of the ingredients together and place on a baking tray. Toast in the same oven for 10 minutes until golden. Blend in a mini blender or in a pestle and mortar. Set aside.
Meanwhile, to make the toasted pistachios, mix all of the ingredients together and place on a baking tray. Toast in the same oven for 10 minutes until golden. Set aside.
To make the ricotta mixture, mix all of the ingredients together gently using a paddle in a mixer or food processor. Transfer to a piping bag.
To make the bitter leaves, separate and put in a large bowl of iced water.
To make the blood orange dressing, blend the blood orange juice and zest, vinegar, sugar and salt with 100g/3½oz water in a blender or food processor. Finish by mixing in the oil.
To make the salad, mix the ingredients for the salad together with the bitter leaves and blood orange dressing in a large salad bowl. Scatter onto a wooden platter.
To assemble the tart, pipe the ricotta mixture into the base of the tart case. Scatter the pistachios and dukkah on top and then scatter over the coriander. Place a beetroot rose in the middle then place them around the outside to fill the top of the tart. Garnish the tart with the marigold, pea shoots and perilla shoots.
Serve the tart with the salad on the side.
