Roasted Beetroot with bacon and rocket aioli recipe from Elizabeth’s Kitchen at Rietvallei Wines.

Serves 6 as an entrée or 4 as a light lunch.

Ingredients

• 4 beetroot (about 800 g), peeled and each cut into 8 pieces
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 250 g pieces of bacon
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 100 g (1 cup) walnuts
• 1 tbs balsamic vinegar
• 1 cup baby rocket leaves

Rocket aioli

• 2 egg yolks
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 cup firmly packed, coarsely chopped rocket
• 300 ml light olive oil
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Place beetroot in a roasting pan, drizzle with olive oil, and toss to coat with oil. Roast at 200°C, turning once, for 45 minutes, or until tender and dark on edges. For rocket aioli, process egg yolks, garlic and rocket in a food processor until rocket is finely chopped. With motor running, gradually add olive oil in a thin steady steam until mixture is thick and glossy. Transfer to a bowl, stir in lemon juice and season to taste.

Remove rind and excess fat from bacon, then cut into 1,5 cm pieces. Heat olive oil in a non-stick frying pan and cook bacon over high heat until golden on edges. Add walnuts and stir over low heat for 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat, add beetroot and balsamic vinegar and mix well. Cool slightly. To serve, spoon a little rocket aioli onto centre of serving plate and top with beetroot mixture and baby rocket leaves.

To pair: Red wine goes surprisingly well with beetroot, so serve with Rietvallei Cabernet Sauvignon or our delicious Shiraz blend.