Beetroot carpaccio

The legendary Café del Sol in Johannesburg might be the city’s best-kept culinary secret if it wasn’t so well known! The family behind its charm and success – Chiara Viljoen with Ryan Viljoen and their mother Luciana Treccani – bring us recipes from their kitchen in the new book, Our Italian Legacy of Love. We have a few to share…

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Beetroot carpaccio

SERVES 4

This starter has proved to be very popular, and not just with vegetarians! The beetroot and strawberries combine for a delightful sweetness. Paired with savoury and creamy gorgonzola and a burst of citrus, this carpaccio is a winner through and through. The colours also make for a visual delight; after all, we eat with our eyes first!

• 1kg fresh beetroot

• 1 punnet fresh strawberries,thinly sliced

• 3 oranges, segmented

• 150g dolcelatte gorgonzola,crumbled

• Salt and pepper to taste

• Extra virgin olive oil to drizzle

• A drizzle of balsamic reduction

• 20g beetroot shoots

Wash the beetroots in cold water, then bring to the boil in a saucepan with a fitted lid. After approximately 15 minutes, remove the lid, reduce the heat, and simmer until the beetroots are tender.

Refresh the beetroots in cold water, then peel, top and tail them. When cooked, the skin peels off easily, but wear gloves when handling beetroots. Using a very sharp knife or mandolin slicer, slice them thinly and arrange, overlapped, on a platter. Scatter the sliced strawberries all over the beetroot. Place the orange segments alongside and crumble the gorgonzola over everything. Season the carpaccio with salt and pepper, then drizzle with olive oil and balsamic reduction. Sprinkle the beetroot shoots over the carpaccio before serving.