On a recent trip to the UK, I was served this dish, or something close to it, at the ridiculously named Sexy Lobster in Bournemouth. I was so smitten with it that I went back the next day and ate it again.
Anyway, once home I wanted to recreate it, or at least come close. I’d never heard of salt-roasting beetroot, but I googled it and it’s definitely a thing. Having tried it, I’m a fan. No need to peel the beetroot until it’s cooked, and it doesn’t leak juice everywhere. Don’t worry about it being too salty, it won’t be. The original dish used goat curd, for which I substituted labneh. It worked really well, the slight tang complementing the sweeter flavours of beetroot and honey. I used Catalan mountain honey — you definitely don’t want supermarket honey for this — use a well flavoured one of your choice. Once the roasting is done, the dish is so easy to put together — it’s just a matter of assembly. Serve at room temperature.
I’d happily serve it to guests as a starter. Count on 1 medium or two small beets per person if serving as a starter. Best plated up individually.
Raw beetroot (1-2 per person)
Coarse salt
Fresh herbs, eg rosemary, thyme (optional)
Labneh (you can either buy it, or make it yourself)
Runny honey of your choice
Chopped pistachios
Fennel
Preheat the oven to 220C and scrub any dirt off the beetroot. Take a roasting dish or tin into which the beets will fit snugly, and pour in a thin layer of coarse salt to cover the bottom. Settle the beets in it, and tuck in some sprigs of fresh herbs if you want. Cover tightly with foil, and roast for at least an hour (although small, my beets took longer then this). When done, a sharp knife should pierce the beets easily. Leave to cool. You can do this well in advance if you like.
To assemble, first put the labneh in a bowl, and use a whisk to whip it lightly — this makes it more spreadable. Spread a layer in a circle on each plate, and use a fork to draw grooves in it for the honey to dribble into. Sprinkle with chopped pistachios. Then drizzle honey over it fairly generously. Finally, peel the beets and cut into slices around 3-4 mm thick. Arrange on top of the labneh, and garnish with chopped fennel or dill. Done!
