How to make roasted beetroot with beetroot greens and a watercress cream

Watercress, says Julia Platt Leonard, is enjoying a renaissance as a proper ingredient, and its peppery kick is a natural counterpoint to the earthiness of beetroot in this recipe

It is time for watercress to take centre stage (Photos by Julia Platt Leonard)

For far too long, watercress languished on the side of our plates. It was a colourful garnish, but that was about it.

Shame, as watercress has a fresh, peppery bite that comes from the mustard oil contained within the plant. When you bite into it, you release the heat.

Watercress enjoyed its heyday during the Victorian era when the arrival of the railroads meant it could be transported easily across the country. Hawkers sold bunches as a kind of fast food for eating on the go.

Today, watercress is enjoying a renaissance as a proper ingredient, not merely a garnish. It’s just the thing served alongside a piece of oily fish and loves an extra hit of mustard or horseradish to heighten the peppery kick even more. It’s also a natural counterpoint to the earthiness of beets.

If you can find beetroot with the stem and leaves attached, then grab them. It’s makes for a nice top to tail dish. If not, you could substitute with Swiss chard.

Roasted beetroot with beetroot greens and a watercress cream

Serves 4-6

4 large beetroots with greens attached
60g watercress (trimmed weight), 50g roughly chopped for the sauce plus 10g garnish
75ml single cream
1 clove of garlic, minced
1-2tsp dijon mustard or horseradish
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 175C. Cut off the greens with the stems attached and place them in a large bowl of water to remove any dirt.

Scrub the beetroot and slice them into wedges – about eight per beetroot. Place the wedges onto a large piece of aluminium foil set inside a roasting tin. Drizzle over olive oil to coat – about 1tbsp. Season with salt and pepper and close the foil packet tightly. Place the roasting tin in the oven and cook the beets until a knife easily inserts into a wedge, about 20-30 minutes.

When the beets are done, remove them from the oven and open the packet. Allow the beetroot to cool enough so you can slip off the skin. Place the cooked beetroot on a serving platter.

Chop the beetroot leaves and stems and give them another rinse to remove any lingering dirt. Place the chopped leaves and stems in a deep frying pan with a bit of the water still clinging to them. Cook over a high heat. As the water evaporates, add a tablespoon of olive oil, salt, pepper and the minced garlic. Cook until the leaves are wilted. Stir in a teaspoon of the mustard or horseradish, taste and add another teaspoon if you like.

While the beetroot stems and greens are cooking, make the watercress sauce. Blitz the chopped watercress with the cream in the small bowl of a food processor, blender or with a handheld stick blender. You can also chop the watercress by hand and stir in the cream, although your sauce won’t be as smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the cooked beetroot greens and stems to the wedges, drizzle with the watercress cream and serve immediately. Any leftovers can be pureed and made into a soup with the addition of some chicken or vegetable stock.

@juliapleonard