Smoked salmon, beetroot and sorrel

Method

• step 1

  To make the beets, put the red wine vinegar, olive oil, 1 tsp of salt and 300ml of water into a pan with the beetroots. Put the parsley, chervil, dill, thyme, bay leaves and peppercorns into a piece of clean muslin and tie to seal, then put into the pan. Bring to the boil and simmer gently for 1 hour 30 minutes or until tender. Remove the beetroots onto a plate, squeeze the muslin back into the pan, then tip the cooking liquid into a food processor or small blender with the black garlic and whizz until completely smooth. Tip back into the pan and simmer gently until reduced to a glaze. Remove the skins of the beets by using kitchen paper to gently rub away. Add the beets to the glaze and keep warm.

• step 2

  To make the dill oil, blanch the dill for 1 minute in boiling water then refresh in ice-cold water. Squeeze as much water as you can from the dill and put in a blender with a pinch of salt and the vegetable oil. Whizz for 5 minutes until the oil is green. Line a sieve with clean muslin above a bowl, then pour in the oil and leave to strain for 1 hour.

• step 3

  To serve, spoon a quenelle of soured cream onto each plate and use a tsp to make in indent in it, then fill this with dill oil. Spoon beetroots and their braising liquid onto the plate, with a portion of smoked salmon topped with sorrel or the dressed rocket, if you like.