Beetroot Carpaccio, Pickled Blackberries, Halloumi & Granola

I adore the deep purple hue of beetroot and its sweet, earthy flavour. Paired with cheese and you have a match made in heaven.  I’ve teamed this beetroot carpaccio with a tempting savoury granola, with hints of fennel and pickled blackberries for acidity.

Extra virgin rapeseed oil is fast becoming a staple in my kitchen.  I’ve used it in this recipe because there are fantastic and passionate producers locally to me, who I love to support. You can of course use extra virgin olive oil as an alternative. A Japanese mandolin is one of my most used utensils, it’s worth investing in one, it will transform root vegetables like this into beautiful things. You’ll wonder how you ever managed without it.

This take on a classic carpaccio really lets the beetroot shine and is nothing short of a joy to eat.

Print Recipe

Beetroot Carpaccio, Pickled Blackberries, Halloumi & Granola

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time35 minutes mins

Total Time55 minutes mins

Course: Lunch Starter

Servings: 4 people

Ingredients

• 3 fresh beetroot medium
• 2 Tbls apple cider vinegar
• 6 Tbls extra virgin rapeseed oil
• 60 g rocket
• 80 g pickled blackberries
• 2 pieces of halloumi approx 225g each

Savoury granola

• 45 g porridge oats
• 25 g nuts, chopped I used walnuts and pistachios
• 10 g sesame seeds
• 7 g chia seeds
• 1 tsp honey
• 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
• 15 g sunflower oil
• a good pinch cayenne pepper
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 egg white
• ape seed oil

Instructions

• Begin by cleaning the beetroot to remove any grit and soil. Cut the stems and roots from the beetroot leaving approximately 2.5cm in place; if either of them are trimmed too much, the colour will bleed out while cooking. Place in a pan of water with a little salt and bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 30-40 minutes or until the beetroot is tender or insert a sharp knife into the flesh – it should slide in easily. When cool enough to handle, remove the skin by rubbing it gently with your fingers. slice finely with a mandolin or a sharp knife.
• Place in a dish and add the vinegar and 4 tablespoons of the extra virgin rapeseed oil with some salt and pepper.
• Next make the granola. Pre-heat the oven to 170Cfan. Combine the oats, nuts, fennel seeds, sesame seeds and chia seeds in a bowl. Add the cayenne pepper, oil, egg white and honey. Season generously with salt and pepper. Place on a baking tray, stirring occasionally and bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden. It will become crunchy when it cools.
• To assemble: Slice the halloumi, assume 3 slices per person. Heat a dry frying pan over a medium-high heat, add the cheese slices. Allow to cook for 2–3 minutes, or until the halloumi is golden-brown. Flip and repeat on the other side.
 Season with black pepper and drizzle with the lemon juice and a little oil.
• Arrange the beetroot slices on 4 dinner plates. Dress the rocket with he remaining oil and place in the centre of the plate on top of the beetroot. Scatter the blackberries on top of the beetroot and finely the halloumi on the rocket. Sprinkle the granola on the salads and serve.

Notes

Here you can find a recipe for Pickled Blackberries.

Tips:

• Substitute the halloumi with a soft and creamy goats cheese and serve cold.
• Or slice two goats’ cheese logs and grill to brown and serve warm.

If you like this recipe, you may like to try this Warm Winter Salad of Beetroot, Kale & Creamed Goats’ Cheese