Mary Berry’s Balsamic Beetroot, Quail’s Egg and Smoked Fish Plate
A festive plate with bright beetroot and your choice of smoked fish, this recipe from Mary Berry's Love to Cook makes the perfect Christmas starter.
From the book
Love to Cook
120 recipes from the nation's favourite cook
Featuring all of the recipes from the accompanying BBC2 series
Celebrating fuss-free cooking and the ingredients and flavours Mary loves
Introduction
You can use your preferred smoked fish, but gravadlax is my favourite. Smoked salmon, smoked trout and smoked mackerel would work well, too.
Ingredients
| 6 | quail’s eggs |
| 150g (5oz) | cooked beetroot, cut into tiny dice |
| 250g (9oz) | gravadlax (about 8 slices) |
| 80g (3oz) | lamb’s lettuce |
| Celery salt, to taste | |
| Balsamic glaze, to garnish | |
| Olive oil, to garnish | |
| For the mustard sauce: | |
|---|---|
| 3 tbsp | creme fraiche |
| 2 tsp | creamed hot horseradish sauce |
| 2 tsp | grainy mustard |
| 2 tbsp | chopped dill, plus extra to garnish |
| ½ tsp | caster sugar |
Method
Place the quail’s eggs in a small saucepan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil. Boil for 3 minutes, then drain and run under cold water. Peel and slice each one in half.
Measure all the mustard sauce ingredients into a bowl. Mix well and season with salt and black pepper.
Divide the diced beetroot between four plates. Place the gravadlax slices next to the beetroot, and the lamb’s lettuce next to the gravadlax. Arrange 3 halves of egg alongside, then sprinkle them with celery salt and black pepper. Spoon some sauce on to each plate.
Just before serving, drizzle the balsamic glaze and olive oil over the beetroot and lamb’s lettuce, and garnish with sprigs of dill.
Mary’s tips:
Can be assembled on individual plates or a platter up to 6 hours ahead. Dress just before serving.
Not for freezing.
