Created by the chef at The French House in Soho, Neil Borthwick, known for his simple, flavour-focused cooking. He is married to Michelin-starred chef Angela Hartnett. Neil has a special talent for using seasonal British produce.
This winter garden salad is a great example of his work. He takes everyday cold-weather vegetables and turns them into something truly delicious.
Ingredients
- 50g celeriac
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Around 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 100g Crapaudine or round beetroot
- 4 Jerusalem artichokes
- 50g pumpkin
- 2 Roscoff onions or small white onions
- A little red wine vinegar
- 1 head radicchio tardivo
- 100g watercress
- 100g rocket
- 100g roasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped
- Around 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley
- French house dressing (see below)
- 50g Parmesan
For the French House Dressing
- 100g Dijon mustard
- 100ml white wine vinegar (6 per cent acidity)
- pinch of salt
- 500ml extra virgin olive oil
- 400ml vegetable or neutral oil
Method
Peel the celeriac and slice thinly. Put into a shallow bowl and season well with sea salt and pepper, white wine vinegar and a drizzle of olive oil.
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Wash the beetroot and put, whole, into a roasting tray with an inch of water. Seal tightly with foil and roast for 1-½ hours until tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife.
Meanwhile, scrub the Jerusalem artichokes and cut in half. Rinse the pumpkin and cut into chunks. If the skin is tender, leave it on, otherwise trim it off.
Heat a thin layer of olive oil in a pan on the hob and roast the artichoke and pumpkin, turning frequently until nicely golden, then put into the oven until tender.
Once you have removed the tray of beetroot and pan of artichokes and pumpkin from the oven turn up the temperature to 220°C.
Peel the onions, taking care to leave the root intact, then score in a criss-cross fashion 8-12 times, right down to the root, sprinkle with olive oil and a good pinch of salt. Put into clean roasting pan and put into the oven for around 20 minutes until the onions open up and the tips are scorched, then turn the heat back down to 180°C for another 20-30 minutes until the onions are just tender Season with black pepper and set aside.
Meanwhile, after the beetroot has cooled for about ten minutes remove the skin and cut into bite-sized chunks. Transfer to a large bowl, add a good splash of red wine vinegar and olive oil, and season.
Add the rest of the vegetables, salad leaves, hazelnuts and parsley, drizzle in the French House dressing and mix carefully to coat everything. Check and season again if necessary, then arrange on a serving platter, finish with shaved Parmesan and let everyone help themselves.
French House Dressing
Whisk the mustard and vinegar with the salt.
Gradually whisk in the oils to produce an emulsified dressing. Store in an airtight jar or bottle at room temperature.
This will make more than you need, but it keeps for a year at room temperature.
