Sir Jamess Beetroot Salad Recipes

Steps:

• To make the sauce, beat the egg yolks well in a basin, then add the mustard, pepper and salt.
• The drop by drop add the olive oil and the vinegars, beating well with a fork or whisk as for a mayonnaise.
• When the mayonnaise has "taken", add the whipped cream. Keep cold.
• Just before serving slice the beetroot and cover with the sauce, poured over the salad not mixed inches.
• Theodora Fitzgibbon notes: Sir James remarks: "A spendthrift for oil, a miser for vinegar, and a lunatic to mix it!" Nowadays, of course, a good mechanical mixer may be used in place of the lunatic.

Steps:

• First, make the salt crust. Blitz the rosemary and salt in a food processor, then add the flour and egg whites with 200ml water. Blitz again to bring together. Tip the mixture onto a clean surface and knead for 5 mins to form a smooth ball, then wrap in cling film and chill for 1 hr.
• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/ gas 3. Roll the dough out to the thickness of a £1 coin. Put the beetroots in the middle and draw the edges up to form a bag. Bake on a tray for 2 1/2 hrs
• Meanwhile, make the pickling liquor for the onions. In a saucepan, combine the vinegar, sugar, mustard seeds and 1 tsp salt over a medium heat, and bring to the boil. Add the dill and leave to cool for 30 mins. Strain the mixture onto the onions, and leave for a further 1 hr, then drain. In a small bowl, mix the dressing ingredients with some seasoning and set aside.
• Remove the beetroots from the oven and leave in the salt crust until cool enough to handle. Open the salt crust with your hands and discard. Peel the beetroot, cut into wedges and drizzle with a little rapeseed oil.
• Mix the beetroots, onions and beetroot leaves in a large mixing bowl, then add the dressing. Reserving a little of each for decoration, add the chives, apple and hazelnuts, toss well, then tip into a large serving bowl. Crumble the feta over the top with the reserved ingredients, then let everyone help themselves. Best served slightly warm.

Steps:

• Drain, wash and drain the beetroot.
• Cut each in half.
• Mix the remaining ingredients together and mix through the beets gently and thouroughly.

Steps:

• Scatter the spinach leaves onto a large platter. Slice the beetroot into wedges and arrange on top of the spinach. Scatter over the feta, mint, spring onions and chillies.
• To make the dressing, put the oil, honey, lemon juice and mustard in a glass jar with a lid. Season and shake well. When ready to serve, pour the dressing over the salad and toss lightly to combine.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and put the beetroot in a roasting tin with 1 tbsp oil, 1 tbsp vinegar and plenty of seasoning. Roast for 8-10 mins until sticky. Meanwhile, bring a pan of salted water to the boil, add the green beans, cook for 1 min, then drain. Toss in with the beetroot and roast for a further 5 mins.
• Meanwhile, make the dressing by combining the remaining oil and vinegar in a small bowl, and season well. Put the mixed leaves and cucumber in a bowl and toss together with a little dressing.
• Dip both cheese halves in the chopped walnuts so the tops are covered, then pop in the roasting tin with the beetroot and green beans for a few mins, to soften and toast the nuts.
• Pile the salad onto plates and serve with the remaining dressing drizzled over the top.