Beetroot Bake with Parmesan Recipe from The Great Dixter’s Cookbook

Penned by Great Dixter’s vegetable gardener and cook, Aaron Bertelsen, The Great Dixter Cookbook continues to nurture Lloyd’s inspiring philosophy (‘garden and kitchen, gardener and cook’) through a collection of 70 sumptuous recipes, including this warming Beetroot Bake with Parmesan.

10 Mins 2.5 Hours Serves 4

Image: Phaidon

Ingredients

  • butter, for greasing
  • 7 raw golf-ball-size beetroot
  • 1 teaspoon finely chopped dill leaves
  • 4 tablespoons double cream
  • 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
  • freshly ground black pepper

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 150°C/300°F/Gas Mark 2. Butter a 25 cm/8 inch diameter baking dish.
  2. Twist the leaves of the beetroots but leave the long roots attached. Gently wash off any soil, then place the beets on a double thickness of aluminium foil and wrap loosely. Put the parcel on a baking sheet and bake for about 2 hours, or until the beets are tender all the way through. Set aside until cool enough to handle, then cut off the roots and tops and peel off the skin.
  3. Increase the oven temperature to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6.
  4. Slice the beetroot about 5 mm/¼ inch thick and arrange the slices in the prepared dish. Whisk the chopped dill into the cream in a small bowl and spoon it evenly over the beetroot. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and a good grinding of black pepper. Put the dish back in the oven and bake for another 15 minutes or so until everything is heated through and the Parmesan is starting to brown.
Beetroot Bake with Parmesan from The Great Dixter Cookbook

Recipe notes

Bertelsen suggests using a really good quality parmesan, and pair with a succulent roast chicken if you need an accompaniment.

About this recipe

This Beetroot Bake with Parmesan recipe is from The Great Dixter Cookbook: Recipes from an English Garden published by Phaidon.

 

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