Beetroot Fritters with Leafy Blue Cheese and Hazelnut Salad
Serves 4
This unique and vibrant dish is packed full of flavours and visually makes a fantastic centrepiece. The crispy beetroot fritters pair perfectly with the toasted hazelnuts, whilst the soft blue cheese and honey dressing create a creamy and sweet textured dressing
Ingredients
For the fritters
3 medium beetroot, grated
1 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped
2 spring onions, finely sliced
1 tsp fennel seeds, lightly crushed
1 tbsp horseradish sauce
75g plain flour
1 large free-range egg, beaten
sunflower oil for frying
For the dressing
- 4tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
- Juice half a lemon
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 small clove garlic, crushed
- 1 tsp honey or maple syrup
For the salad
- 300g bitter leaves, we used a mixture radicchio and endive
- 1 shallot, finely sliced
- 60g stilton or Roquefort, crumbled
- 70g toasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped
Method
- Line a baking tray with several sheets of kitchen paper. Spread the grated beetroot over it and lay another few sheets on top and push down with your hands to remove excess moisture. Transfer the beetroot to a large bowl along with the herbs, onion, fennel seeds, horseradish, plain flour and egg, and season with sea salt and black pepper. Stir with a wooden spoon until well combined.
- To make the salad dressing, mix together all the ingredients in a small bowl until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper and set aside
- Heat 2 cm of sunflower oil in a large frying pan over a medium high heat. Fry tablespoons of the beetroot mixture for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden and crisp. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.
- Arrange the leaf selection and shallots on a serving plate, drizzle over the dressing and scatter over the cheese and hazelnuts. Serve the fritters warm alongside the salad.