Roasted beetroot with silky skordalia

Roasting is my favourite way to cook beetroot because it intensifies its natural sweetness for a more concentrated flavour than you get from steaming or boiling.

Credit: Jeremy Simons

• serves

  6

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  1 hour

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 5 beetroot bulbs, stems and leaves removed
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• pinch of sea salt flakes
• flat-leaf parsley leaves, to serve
• freshly ground black pepper

Skordalia

• 500 g sebago potatoes (or another floury variety), peeled and cut into 3-cm cubes
• 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
• pinch of sea salt flakes and ground white pepper
• 125 ml (½ cup) extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C (fan-forced).

2. Wrap the beetroot bulbs tightly in foil, place on a baking tray and roast for 1 hour or until cooked through. Remove the tray from the oven and set aside for 30 minutes so the beetroot sweats in the foil as it cools.

3. Meanwhile, to make the skordalia, place the potato in a saucepan of cold salted water. Bring to a simmer over low heat and cook for 15 minutes or until tender. Drain, reserving about 125 ml (½ cup) of the starchy water.

4. Transfer the hot potato to a food processor, add the garlic, vinegar, and salt and pepper and blitz to combine. With the motor running, slowly pour in the olive oil and 3 tablespoons of the reserved water to create a silky mash. Add a little more water if you prefer a thinner consistency. Spread the skordalia onto a platter.

5. Peel away the beetroot skins and slice into wedges. Toss in a bowl with the olive oil, vinegar and salt.

6. Arrange the beetroot on top of the skordalia, drizzle with olive oil, scatter over a few parsley leaves, season with pepper and serve.

Recipe extract from Easy Gluten Free by Helen Tzouganatos, Published by Plum, RRP $39.99, Photography by Jeremy Simons

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.