Heritage beetroot and candied walnut salad

Name: Heritage beetroot and candied walnut salad
Yield: Serves 6
Cuisine: British recipes

A feast for the eyes as well as the palate. This heritage beetroot and candied walnut salad is full of earthy, tangy and sweet flavours.

Ingredients

For the candied walnuts

For the marinade

For the candied walnuts

For the marinade

Put all the marinade ingredients in a jug and stir well to dissolve the sugar. Peel the beetroot, then slice as thinly as possible into rounds using a mandoline or very sharp knife. Lay in a shallow dish (see tip) and pour over the marinade. Leave for 1 hour at room temperature.
Meanwhile, make the candied walnuts. Line a baking sheet with baking paper. Put the 100g sugar in a small non-stick frying pan and cook over a medium heat, swirling, until a caramel forms. Add the walnuts and swirl to coat. Tip out onto the lined baking sheet and allow to cool completely, then break into small pieces with a rolling pin.

Put all the marinade ingredients in a jug and stir well to dissolve the sugar. Peel the beetroot, then slice as thinly as possible into rounds using a mandoline or very sharp knife. Lay in a shallow dish (see tip) and pour over the marinade. Leave for 1 hour at room temperature.
Meanwhile, make the candied walnuts. Line a baking sheet with baking paper. Put the 100g sugar in a small non-stick frying pan and cook over a medium heat, swirling, until a caramel forms. Add the walnuts and swirl to coat. Tip out onto the lined baking sheet and allow to cool completely, then break into small pieces with a rolling pin.

If using different coloured beetroot, jeep them separate once sliced so the colours don’t bleed into each other.
Make the candied walnuts up to 3 days in advance and store in an airtight container.
As well as the usual purple variety, beetroot comes in heritage varieties that include golden, candy-striped (also called chioggia) and white. They’re available from good grocers and larger supermarkets. If you can’t find them, just use purple beetroot – the salad will still be pretty.

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