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Beetroot with preserved lemon relish for Mrs Sweeney


We had this as a starter when the Sweeneys visited us on Saturday night. I have blogged about it before but here it is just for you Liz, complete with added cheat.

I have to confess that I used the vacuum packed pre-cooked beetroot that you can buy in the veg section at Waitrose. Whilst I'm sure it tastes better if you cook them yourself this definitely saves alot of effort.

ingredients

900g beetroot, thoroughly washed
4 heaped tbsp chopped dill
1 small red onion, peeled and
very thinly sliced
160g creamy Greek yogurt

For the relish

2 yellow peppers
3 tbsp olive oil
1½ tsp coriander seeds
400g tin chopped plum tomatoes
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp sugar
Salt and black pepper
3 tbsp preserved lemon
skin, chopped
2 tbsp each chopped parsley
and coriander leaves
This is yet another recipe from the fabulous 'Plenty' by Ottolenghi.


Method

First boil the beetroots whole in plenty of water until cooked through. This can take anything up to 60 minutes - check by piercing them with a little knife. Allow them to cool down completely, then peel and cut into wedges.

While the beets are cooking, make the relish. Cut circles around the stems of the peppers, and carefully remove and discard the stems and seeds. Place the peppers on an oven tray lined with foil and put them directly under a very hot grill for up to 30 minutes, until they are cooked inside and blackened on the outside. Set aside to cool, with the foil folded over the peppers to encase them, then peel and cut into strips.

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan and fry the coriander seeds for 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, garlic, sugar, salt and pepper, and simmer for 25 minutes, adding the lemon halfway through. Remove from the heat, stir in the herbs and set aside to cool.

When you're ready to serve, put the beet wedges in a bowl, add the relish, dill and onion, and season. Stir, taste and adjust the seasoning. Just before serving, gently swirl the yogurt through the salad. Don't overstir: you want a white-and-red marbled effect, not a uniform pink.
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Comments

Elizabeth said…
A very delicious dish!
Thanks for blogging...
March 8, 2011 at 7:03 AM
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