“We sell a lot of bakes like this at Cafe St Honoré, and we like to play around with different types of roots as they work so well. Dauphinoise potato are wonderful, but this has more flavour and depth. The salad is essential to cut through the richness. It keeps well in the fridge for a good few days so make a large tray like you would a lasagne.”

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

4 medium sized potatoes, peeled

3 or 4 different varieties of beetroot, peeled. I’ve used candied, golden and red

1 head of garlic

A few sprigs of thyme

500mls double cream

A few slices of goats cheese, I like golden cross

A few tablespoons of breadcrumbs

1 bulb fennel, peeled and thinly sliced

1 banana shallot, peeled and thinly sliced

A glug of organic olive oil

A splash of red wine vinegar

A few chopped, fresh herbs for the salad

METHOD

Heat oven to 190°C.

Line an ovenproof lasagne dish with greaseproof paper.

Pour the cream into a pan and season. Add the garlic and thyme and bring to a gentle boil. Keep on a medium heat and reduce for a few minutes.

Use a mandolin to slice the potatoes and the beetroot to around 1mm thickness. Reserve 2 handfuls of sliced beetroot for the salad.

Remove the garlic and thyme from the cream.

Assemble the bake by layering potato, then cream, then beetroot and so on in the lasagne dish until all the cream and potatoes are used up. Make sure the final layer is cream and cover with greaseproof paper, pressing down gently.

Place in the oven for an hour. It’s cooked when the tip of a knife will penetrate with no resistance.

Remove the paper lid and add a few slices of goats cheese and sprinkle over the bread crumbs. Return to the oven for a few minutes before serving.

To make the salad, mix the sliced fennel, shallots and beetroot in a bowl along with the red wine vinegar, olive oil and a few chopped fresh herbs of your choice. Season and serve alongside the bake.