Cooking for Valentine’s Day can be a stressful experience if you are hoping to impress a loved one, but you can make something easy yet elegant with this recipe.
Chef Charles Noorland, an expert in French cuisine from Audley Fairmile, has shared with the Express.co.uk that his favourite fine dining recipe is beetroot carpaccio and goat’s cheese mousse.
He said: “This dish is nourishing and delicious. It is easy to change the presentation by covering the whole plate in the thinly sliced beetroot which will make it all red – perfect for Valentine’s Day!”
This meal would be excellent as a starter for a homecooked meal this romantic holiday. It is made with refreshing beetroot, creamy goat cheese, and candied walnuts, and it is sure to impress a loved one.
It may seem fancy, but this dish is incredibly simple to cook. Although the beetroot may need to be prepared in advance, the rest of the recipe can be made in around 15 minutes.
How to make beetroot carpaccio and goat’s cheese mousse
Ingredients (serves two)
To make the beetroot carpaccio:
- 100g of goat’s cheese
- Two small-medium beetroots
- 25g of walnuts (halved)
- Balsamic vinegar (for drizzling)
- Dill (to garnish)
To make the goat’s cheese mousse:
- 75g of goat’s cheese (rind removed)
- 50ml of double cream
To make the candied walnuts:
- 25g of sugar
- 25g of walnuts (about five)
Recipe
To make the beetroot carpaccio:
To begin, season the beetroot, wrap it in foil and then place it in the oven. Cook at 160C for roughly 90 minutes until it has softened.
Once ready, take out the oven. Remove the foil, peel off the skin and leave it to cool down. When it has chilled, cut the beetroot into thin slices with a sharp knife.
To make the candied walnuts:
Place the sugar in a pan over a medium heat until it turns a light gold colour.
Add water if needed until it thickens into a caramel sauce. Cut the walnuts in half then coat them in the caramel sauce. Let them cool and then break into smaller chunks.
Just before you serve, place the walnuts on a tray and bake at 180C for five minutes in the oven until they are toasted and golden.
To make the goat’s cheese mousse:
Remove the ring from the goat cheese and crumble it into pieces.
Add to a bowl and then also add the double cream, then stir until you have a creamy mixture. Then, leave it to chill in the fridge until it is firm enough to scoop.
To serve:
Place the beetroot layers on a plate so that they are overlapping. Use two spoons to shape the goat’s cheese mousse into two oval shapes per plate, then place them on top of the beetroot.
Scatter the candied walnuts over the plate, drizzle with balsamic vinegar and garnish with dill.
Your simple yet elegant Valentine’s Day dish will then be ready to serve.
