NYE Antipasti of Cacao Balsamic Beetroot Pâté, Fennel with Lemon and Basil, and Orange Zest Mascarpone.

3 simple things working well together on a plate

Cacao Balsamic Beetroot

This is a bit of a balancing act drawing together the roasted sweetness of beetroot on top of its natural woody rootiness, with the rounded acid of the balsamic vinegar and the bitterness of the cacao -

Ingredients;

6 medium sized pre-cooked/boiled beetroot, 1 red onion, 100ml of balsamic vinegar, 20 grams of muscavado, 20 grams of cacao, thyme, zest of orange, sea salt and black pepper.

Method;

Cut the beetroot into inch+ cubes, chop the onion and then place the beetroot and red onion into a baking tray with a little oil, thyme salt and pepper g/m 4.5/160 degrees, to roast low and slow for 30 minutes*

Put the balsamic vinegar, sugar, cacao and thyme and orange zest into a small saucepan, and gently simmer down by half whilst stirring.

Add the Sticky balsamic glaze to the beetroot and onion and blitz whilst adding salt and pepper to taste.

Depending on your oven, don’t allow the beet or onion to dry out, controlling the fan or covering with baking paper if necessary - but then allowing it all to let off steam towards the end so that your ingredients are not too wet.

Fennel Slaw with Lemon and Basil

Ingredients; 3 Fennel bulbs, 1 courgette, a handful of radish; Dressing and Basil Oil;* (*Sunflower oil, olive oil, lemon, Dijon mustard, caster Sugar, juice of 1 orange juice, lemon, basil leaf, salt, pepper…

Finely slice the fennel, the courgette (by length) and the radish, mix together… and dress with basil dressing; To make basil oil simply blitz a bunch of basil leaves with oil - we use 50% sunflower and 50% olive oil for this; add your basil oil to a simple salad dressing* and dress your fennel salad. (We’ll come back to you with salad dressings another time)

Orange Zest Mascarpone

Ingredients; 200 grams mascarpone, zest of 1 orange

Simply add orange zest to Mascarpone - consider seasoning with a little black pepper/a few chilli flakes and a slight squeeze of orange juice