Beetroot salad with goat cheese

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 3 beetroots (175 g each)
• 300 ml vegetable stock
• Sea salt and pepper, black
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 50 g walnuts
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 organic oranges
• 1 red chili pepper(s)
• 3 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 6 tbsp maple syrup
• 5 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• Salt
• pepper
• 50 g arugula
• 50 g watercress, alternatively lamb’s lettuce
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 4 slices of Serrano ham
• 10 basil leaves
• 4 small goat’s cheeses (Picandou) 40 g each

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour 25 minutes; Total time approx. 2 hours 25 minutes

Peel the beetroot, cut into wedges, and place in an ovenproof dish. Add the vegetable stock, season with pepper and sea salt, and sprinkle with sugar. Cover the dish with cling film, pierce about four holes in the film, and cook at 180°C (top/bottom heat) for about 60-70 minutes. Remove from the stock and let cool. Roughly chop the walnuts and toast them in 1 tablespoon of olive oil, adding salt if desired. Finely grate the zest of the untreated oranges—about 1 tablespoon. Mix these with the finely chopped chili pepper, Dijon mustard, maple syrup, 5 tablespoons of olive oil, and lemon juice to make a vinaigrette. Season with salt and pepper. Peel the oranges completely, removing all the white pith. Cut into slices and arrange them around the edge of the plate as a border. Clean, wash, and dry the arugula and watercress (or lamb’s lettuce) (spin dry if necessary), and place them in the center of the plate. Fry the slices of Serrano ham in 1 tablespoon of olive oil until crispy. Roughly tear the basil. Arrange the beetroot wedges on the salad, then sprinkle the walnuts over them and scatter the Serrano ham (tear it apart first if necessary). Finally, crumble the picandou into small pieces and scatter them. Add the basil to the salad. Finally, drizzle everything with the vinaigrette. Tip: Alternatively, you can use pre-cooked beetroot and use it further.