WINTER SALT BAKED VEGETABLE SALAD
SALT BAKED CELERIAC, HERITAGE BEETROOT, BABY SPINACH & CHICORY SALAD, MIXED HERBS, GOAT'S CURD
Don't be alarmed by the amount of salt in this recipe, it is only used to encase the vegetables and ensure their natural moisture is retained and the flavours really brought out. It is a light yet wintry salad, perfect for lunch, as a dinner party starter or a really healthy supper dish. If you have root vegetables ready to be used up adapt the recipe to what you have in the cupboard and it will still be delicious. Our chef also suggests that you might replace the curd with a nice soft, finished goat's cheese or some feta. Use olive oil instead of rapeseed oil, and as an alternative to the Cabernet Sauvignon vinegar, which is not as easy to source, a good cider vinegar would work just as well.
Serves 8 starter size or 4 main course
Salt Crust Ingredients:
400g egg white
1kg table salt
Salt Crust Method, this process can be done the day before:
Pre-heat oven to 160/320/gas mark 3
Using and electric whisk or stand alone machine, whisk the egg whites to soft peaks.
Then while whisking, slowly add the salt & continue to whisk until stiff peaks
In a deep roasting tray cover the base with a layer of the crust mixture
Wash the beetroot & celeriac, leave the skin on & cut the celeriac in half
Place the directly onto the salt crust and then completely cover the vegetables with the remaining mixture like a white blanket
Very importantly make sure not to leave any holes so as not to lose moisture or flavour when cooking
Now place the tray onto the middle shelf in the oven and bake for around 3 hours
Check they’re ready by carefully pushing a knife through the crust and into the vegetables
When just cooked, remove from the oven and allow to cool hour a few hours
Once cooled sufficiently, remove the salt crust and discard, then carefully with a knife peel away the skins and roughly chop the vegetables
Set to one side ready for assembling the salad
Salad Ingredients:
Celeriac x 1 whole - salt baked & roughly chopped
Mixed heritage beetroot x 1 large of each (golden, ruby, candied)
Baby spinach x 250g - washed
Chicory x 2 heads - leaves separated & washed
Goats curd x 500g
Flat leaf parsley 40g picked & washed
Dill 40g - picked & washed
Chives 40g - roughly chopped
Pumpkin seeds, toasted
Cabernet Sauvignon Vinegar x 150ml
Extra virgin Rapeseed oil 200ml
Sea salt flakes & Black pepper
Salad Method:
Place all the ingredients apart from the pumpkin seeds and goats curd into a large mixing bowl
Carefully toss the salad together to get an even coating of flavour throughout
Start to build your salads evenly between the desired serving plates/bowls
Then when ready, finish the salads with spoonfuls of the delicious goats curd and sprinkles of toasted pumpkin seeds
