Beetroot Salad w/ Pomegranate Molasses & Spicy Pecans

Preheat the oven to 200°C, 180° Fan, 400°F, Gas 6.

To prepare the beetroot.

Wash the beetroot, place them in a roasting tin and half fill with boiling water. Cover with a double layer of tin foil (or a tight-fitting lid). If using 2 or 3 different coloured beetroot varieties, cook them in separate roasting tins or the colours will bleed into each other. Cook for 70–90 minutes, until tender.
To test, pierce the beetroot with the point of a knife. Leave to cool slightly, then remove the skins while still warm. Slice into wedges, all the same size. 

To make the marinade for the beetroot, combine the olive oil with the cider vinegar and maple syrup in a bowl and whisk to combine. Season well. Keeping the beetroots in separate bowls, pour some of the dressing over each. Leave to marinate to allow the flavours to develop.

To make the spicy pecans

Reduce the oven to 160°C, 140°C Fan, 325°F, Gas 3. Combine the olive oil, sugar and spices in a bowl and season well. Mix through the pecans. Spread onto a baking tray and roast for 8–10 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to cool fully on the tray. Roughly chop and set aside. 

To finish the salad

To make the yoghurt dressing, stir all the ingredients together gently. Don’t overmix, as the yoghurt should stay thick.

To assemble, keep all the beetroots in their separate bowls. Check the seasoning and mix some chopped chervil into each bowl. Carefully layer the beetroots on a platter, scattering over the chopped spiced nuts and large spoonfuls of the yoghurt dressing. Serve at room temperature.