30 1 DECEMBER 2022 Food&Drink Serves 6 Prepare 30 minutes Cook 1 hour 1kg raw beetroot 2 tbsp yellow mustard seeds 2 tbsp white balsamic vinegar (such as Mazzetti Bianco Speciale White Condiment) 1 tbsp caster sugar For the smoked yogurt 100g white rice, any type 100g black tea leaves 20 ice cubes 400g strained Greek yogurt For the dressing 1 tsp Dijon mustard (or wholegrain if Dijon is unavailable) 1 tsp clear honey 1½ tbsp white balsamic vinegar ½ medium-sized red chilli, deseeded and cut into ne strips 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil Food for sharing with Diana Henry Once November ends, we seem to start hurtling towards Christmas flavours and the pre-Christmas marathon that this time of year prescribes – o ce parties, mince pies with people you haven’t seen for yonks, festive lunches. I socialisemore in December than in the previous elevenmonths put together. A lot of alcohol, cheesyWotsits and dried fruit are consumed. But this first week still has moments of calmbefore the chaos begins. It’s a pre-Christmas breathing space and a good time to have Saturday or Sunday lunch with friends. The starter here is quite unusual and youmight decide – after reading the words ‘smoked yogurt’ – that you’re not going to try it, but bear withme. Everyone who celebrates Christmas will be having spices and flavours – in the pudding, themulled wine, the bread sauce – that bring back past Christmases. We eat traditional food. I love that and I’mkeen on continuity, but it’s all themore reason to try something that’s not traditional for other meals. In this menu, there are some unusual combinations and flavours – pickledmustard seeds (they’re gorgeous), smoked yogurt and a sweet and sour relish that’s more Nordic than British. This is what I’ll bemaking, before all thoughts turn to cinnamon sticks and the scent of freshly grated nutmeg. DianaHenry is The Sunday Telegraph’s food writer. @dianahenryfood Roast beetroot with pickledmustard seeds & smoked yogurt Once in a while, it’s great to cook something unusual that you’re not sure about. I love this yogurt, and all you need is a wok, a rack and some rice, tea leaves and ice. Just follow the recipe and it should work. Don’t let it smoke for too long or the yogurt will be too strong 1 Preheat the oven to 200ºC, gas mark 6. Wash the beets (if they have any leaves, remove them and if they look perky enough to serve with the nished dish, hold onto them). Put a double layer of foil in a roasting tin. This will be made into a parcel around the beets. Put the beets on the foil, pull the foil up around them, then add 50ml water and seal the parcel, leaving some room around the beets. Roast for 45 minutes-1 hour, until tender. How long it takes depends on the size of the beets – some large ones take over an hour. Test for doneness with the point of a knife – it should go in and out with no resistance. Set aside to cool and, when just about cool enough to handle, remove the skins (they slip o easily). 2 To make the smoked yogurt, line a wok with 4 layers of foil, turning the foil down over the sides of the pan all the way round. Put the rice and tea into the bottom of the wok. Put a metal grid into the wok. Or if you don’t have one, use 8 wooden skewers (soaked in cold water for 30 minutes) and t them into the pan in a grid, ready to take the weight of the yogurt. 3 You need two shallow bowls, one that will t inside the other one. Put the ice in the larger bowl. Spoon the yogurt into the other one. Set the yogurt bowl into the ice bowl, pushing it down into the ice; set aside. Put the wok over a medium heat, cover with a lid and wait until you can smell smoke (and see it, if you quickly peek inside). Put the ice and yogurt bowls onto the grid, put the lid back on and pull the overhanging foil up over the edge to secure the lid in place. Smoke for 15 minutes. The ice should last for 15 minutes. The yogurt will be lightly smoked and should still be cold. Stir the yogurt and add salt to taste. 4 To make the dressing, mix together the mustard, honey, vinegar, chilli and some seasoning in a small bowl. Gradually whisk in the olive oil using a fork. Taste for seasoning. 5 Put the mustard seeds, vinegar, sugar, 75ml water and a pinch of salt into a small saucepan. Cook over a medium heat, until the seeds are soft and nearly all the liquid has disappeared, taking about 15 minutes. 6 Slice the beets into rounds or wedges. Pour over the dressing and season. Divide between 6 plates or put the slices on a platter. Spoon the mustard seeds over the beets and add some of the smoked yogurt. Serve with slices of good sourdough or rye bread. V Per serving 1484kJ/355kcals/17g fat/6.1g saturated fat/39g carbs/24g sugars/4.3g bre/8.6g protein/ 0.4g salt/135µg folic acid/1 of your 5 a day
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDY5NzE=