Beetroot carpaccio with honeyed walnuts and Roquefort cheese

Serves: 5
Course: Starter
Cooking Time: 0 hr 20 mins

Ingredients

  • <ul> <li>4 raw beetroot, peeled and sliced on a mandolin or just thinly sliced</li> <li>Few splashes red wine vinegar</li> <li>Little tbsp olive oil</li> <li>100g walnuts</li> <li>2-3 tbsp honey</li> <li>Splash walnut oil or olive oil</li> <li>Few rosemary sprigs, stripped and roughly chopped</li> <li>Watercress to garnish</li> <li>100g Roquefort, loosely crumbled </li> </ul>

First, marinate the sliced raw beetroot in the vinegar and oil, seasoned with a little salt. This “cooks” it. Leave aside until you’re ready to plate up.

Next, toast the walnuts for about five to 10 minutes on a roasting tray in the oven at about 150 degrees/gas 2, then set them aside to cool.

Season the nuts with the walnut oil (you can also use olive oil), rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper and honey.This is so good you’ll want to eat it on its own, but desist.

To assemble the salad, arrange the beetroot slices on the plate – a bit haphazard looks best – and scatter the cheese and walnuts over the top.

Garnish with some watercress and drizzles of olive oil.

Food cooked & styled by Domini Kemp & Gillian Fallon

Domini Kemp

Domini Kemp

Domini Kemp, a contributor to The Irish Times, is a chef and food writer