Beetroot & Goat’s Cheese Starter
Beetroot & Goat’s Cheese Starter
Course: Recipes, MainDifficulty: Easy1
hour10
minutesGoat’s cheese and beetroot are a match made in heaven, so this Valentine’s you can show your match that heaven is attainable. Eugh. Was that too corny?! OK moving on… basically in this, you have a super easy combination that can be made in advance, so the key is really being organised about the elements of the dish, and then bringing them together just before you sit down for supper. This combination of sharp, tangy goat’s cheese, made by artisans Brown’s Cheese, and the sweetness of beetroot is heaven, but add in some crunch from our Cracker Shack gluten free crackers (or, indeed, any of their crackers that take your fancy) and the sharpness of the balsamic vinegar reduction, and you have a real treat here!
INGREDIENTS
1 large beetroot
1 Brown’s Valencay Goat’s Cheese
100ml Bio whipping cream, or you could use Brown’s sour cream
finely chopped parsley (about 1 tsp, but you can put in as much as you like really)
freshly ground pepper and a pinch of salt
balsamic reduction
fresh thyme
Cracker Shack gluten free crackers
Directions
- Roast the beetroot in the oven for around 1 hour or until a skewer goes through it with ease. Allow to cool, and then peel once cool.
- To make the goat’s cheese mousse, first take the ‘skin’ off the Valencay with a sharp knife, ensuring you cut as close to the skin as possible to avoid wasting that delicious cheese. Crumble or chop the cheese into a bowl. In a separate bowl, whip the cream until it has soft peaks. Then mix in with the goat’s cheese, parsley, pepper and a tiny bit of salt. Beat it together until it’s light and moussey. Have a little taste at this stage and adjust the seasoning as you see fit. Because we don’t have much salt in our house, I never really feel the urge to add more, but I’ll leave that to your discretion.
- To plate up, slice the beetroot horizontally into thick slices, and use a heart shaped cookie cutter to make your beetroot hearts. Pipe the goat’s cheese into the middle of the plate, and then arrange the hearts – either lying down or on their side – around the mousse. Arrange the crackers around the hearts and finish with the fresh thyme and a drizzle of the balsamic.
Shop the Ingredients