Carpaccio of Beetroot, Orange, Walnuts and Dill

What a lovely day in Sydney town today. I honestly couldn't bare to go back in doors after being out in the sun during lunch. 

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I think it's been a while since I've posted a recipe, oops! Plenty to come. Today's recipe brings a lovely way to use beetroot in a salad. The beetroot here is boiled in an assortment of spices, herbs and orange. Yum!

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The original of this recipe used soft goat's milk feta. I was vegan at the time so I skipped that. Feel free to add a white cheese. It would work really well. 

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Recipe adapted from Gourmet Traveller Magazine
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Ingredients
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4 beetroot (about 100gm each), scrubbed
1 litre (4 cups) red wine vinegar
220 gm (1 cup) caster sugar
1 bunch thyme
2 fresh bay leaves
Finely grated rind and juice of 1 orange
10 gm (2cm piece) ginger, thinly sliced
1 cinnamon quill
1 star anise
40 gm walnut halves
1 orange, segmented 
Handful of dill 
Extra-virgin olive oil
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Method
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1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Bring beetroot, vinegar, sugar, thyme, bay leaves, orange rind and juice, ginger, cinnamon, star anise and 1 litre water to the boil in a saucepan over high heat. Then reduce heat to medium and simmer until beetroot are tender, after about 30 minutes. Be careful not to let the liquid reduce. Drain and reserve cooking liquid. Set aside the liquid to cool. 

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2. Meanwhile, roast walnuts on an oven tray in the oven, shaking occasionally, until golden (2-4 minutes), set aside to cool, then coarsely chop.

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3. Peel and thinly slice the beetroot on a mandolin. Please don't laugh at my awful attempt at slicing the beetroot! Very bad. Set aside the beetroot once sliced.

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4. Strain 80ml cooking liquid through a fine sieve into a saucepan. Discard solids and remaining liquid. Bring the liquid to a simmer over high heat, reduce to a syrup (5-7 minutes) and set aside.

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5. Divide beetroot slices among plates and top with the orange, dill, walnuts and feta (optional). Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, beetroot reduction and tiny bit of juice from the orange. Season to taste and serve.