March 11, 2020
by chef Dale Stevens of Faber
Serves 2
INGREDIENTS
100ml buffalo yoghurt
100g baby golden beetroots
100g candy-stripe baby beetroots
100g purple baby beetroots
43ml olive oil
1 medium-sized butternut
50g pumpkin seeds
2t soya sauce
10g castor sugar
10g ground cinnamon
100g watercress, washed
salt and pepper
METHOD
- Place the buffalo yoghurt in a sieve lined with cloth. Store in fridge overnight, draining off most of the whey. Once it has thickened, add pinch of salt and set aside.
- Preheat oven to 180°C. Place baby beetroots in 3 separate baking trays (important to keep the 3 colours separate, as they tend to stain each other) and coat with 20ml olive oil, salt and pepper. Wrap trays in tinfoil and allow to roast at for 45 minutes.
- Remove from oven and allow to steam in tray for an additional 15 minutes. This will ensure the beetroots do not overcook. Peel and set aside.
- Peel the butternut and portion 2 ‘steaks’. Place the steaks in a baking tray, drizzle with 5ml olive oil, salt and pepper. Cover tray with tin foil and roast at 180°C for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
- Dice the remaining butternut and drizzle with 8ml of olive oil, salt and pepper. Place diced and seasoned butternut on a baking tray, cover with foil and roast at 180°C for 40 minutes. Once cooked, blend the butternut in a food processor/blender till smooth. Adjust seasoning accordingly.
- Toast the pumpkin seeds at 180°C for 12 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately coat with soya sauce, breaking seeds up with a wooden spoon to prevent clumps. Allow to cool and set aside.
PLATING
- Combine the castor sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl; coat top and bottom of butternut steak in the mixture. In a hot pan, roast the butternut steak on low-medium heat with 5ml olive oil, till both sides are golden brown. Once desired colour is achieved, portion the butternut into bite-sized pieces.
- Toss the cooled baby beetroots in 5ml olive oil and adjust seasoning accordingly.
- On a clean flat plate, place a tablespoon of labneh in the top left corner and 2 tablespoons of butternut puree. Arrange the baby beetroots and the cubed butternut on the plate. Sprinkle with toasted pumpkin seeds and finish off with watercress.
Tip: beetroots are cooked first, then easily peeled.