Mark Aisthorpe's salt-baked beetroot, apple and goats' cheese salad recipe
Did you know approximately 800,000 apples are discarded each day? Great British Menu star Mark Aisthorpe believes we can do better, so has teamed up with JAZZ apples to reveal the true potential of this humble fruit.
Mark, owner and head chef at highly acclaimed The Bulls Head on the outskirts of the Peak District, has created a series of fresh and exciting recipes that show apples in a whole new light, including this earthy yet zingy salad.
This dish uses a classic, yet seldomly used, technique to cook the beetroot: it's wrapped in a salt-dough that insulates the vegetable, allowing it to cook evenly and tenderly while preserving its natural juices.
Throw in apples for a sweet yet tart crunch, crumble over goats' cheese for tangy creaminess and drizzle the lot with a honey-laced dressing, and you have a winning salad.
Ingredients
For the salt-baked beetroot- 300 g salt
- 300 g plain flour
- 3 egg whites
- 20 juniper berries, crushed
- 5 springs of thyme and rosemary, picked and chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 6 beetroots
- 1 red onion
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 4 apples (we like JAZZ apples for this recipe)
- 120 g goats' cheese
- 2 tbsp honey
- 50 g walnuts
- 200 g mixed salad leaves
Details
- Cuisine: British
- Recipe Type: Salad
- Difficulty: Easy
- Preparation Time: 15 mins
- Cooking Time: 65 mins
- Serves: 4
Step-by-step
- Combine the salt, flour, egg white, juniper, thyme, garlic and water enough to bind into a dough. Wrap in cling film and chill for 15-20 mins.
- Pre-heat oven to 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/gas mark 4.
- Roll out the dough and wrap the beetroot in it. Make a small hole in the pastry (they can explode if not!)
- Bake for 45 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and cut off the dough. Use the back of a knife to take the skin off the beetroot and cut to shape.
- Cut the red onions top to bottom and spread on a baking tray. Season with sea salt, pepper, olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
- Bake the onions for 20 minutes until caramelised and soft.
- Cut your apples into nice chunks and remove the core.
- Place the apples, red onions, beetroot, walnuts and greens in a bowl toss together. Splash with balsamic vinegar and mix.
- Transfer to your serving bowl, drizzle a little honey over the top, and crumble over the goats' cheese. Season and serve.
Recipe courtesy of JAZZ Apples, in collaboration with Mark Aisthorpe.
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