GUIDE GOURMET: Beetroot, chilli and balsamic relish

HERE’S a tasty, easy to make recipe for delicious beetroot, chilli and balsamic relish, the perfect accompaniment to any cheeseboard. It’s also extremely economical – Paul made 12 jars (two batches of the recipe) with beetroot which cost just £1.50, so there will be plenty to give to friends, too.

Ingredients – for the tomato and chilli sauce: 1kg fresh tomatoes, two garlic cloves, finely chopped, two whole, dried red chillies, one fresh bay leaf, two whole sprigs of fresh rosemary and thyme, one tbsp olive oil, two tbsp of red wine, salt and pepper to taste.

For the beetroot relish: 1kg organic rainbow beetroot, one large red onion, finely chopped, one tbsp olive oil, 75g dark brown sugar, 75g caster sugar, 100ml balsamic vinegar, 50ml raspberry vinegar.

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Method: firstly, make the tomato and chilli sauce. Place the garlic and olive oil into a large pan and cook on a low heat for a few minutes before adding all the other ingredients. Cook for a further 30 minutes on a low heat until the tomatoes have broken down into the sauce.

Leave to cool a little before passing the sauce through a sieve to remove the fresh herbs and chillies, along with the skins and seeds of the tomatoes – you will be left with about 250ml of tomato purée.

Season well to taste. For an extra hit of chilli, place a little of the sauce in a blender with the two chillies and blend until smooth, before adding this back into the tomato sauce.

Meanwhile, wash and trim the beetroot of any stalks or roots, before wrapping each individual beetroot in foil and placing them in a large baking tray. Cook in the oven (180 deg C) for 35-40 minutes, until the beetroot are cooked through – test with a small, sharp knife. Once cooked, leave to cool a little before unwrapping and then peeling the beetroot. The skins should just slide off easily if you rub them.

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Coarsely grate the beetroot into a bowl – a food processor makes quick work of this. Wear gloves for this bit if you don’t want to stain your hands purple!

To make the relish, place the olive oil and red onion in a large pan and cook on a low heat for 5-10 minutes, until the onion is soft. Add the sugars and vinegars and bring to the boil, before turning down the heat and adding the grated beetroot and tomato sauce. Cook for a further 10 minutes or until the relish has reduced to a thick consistency.

Place the relish in sterilised jars with vinegar-proof lids and use within one year. Once open, keep in the fridge. To sterilise the jars, simply wash in hot soapy water, rinse and leave to drain, before placing on a baking tray in a cool oven for 10-15 minutes until dry