Ingredients

Method

• 1 medium-sized butternut
• Olive oil, for coating
• Sea salt, to taste
• 2 medium-sized, beetroot
• 30 g flaked almonds
• 30 g sesame seeds
• 30 g sunflower seeds
• 250 g English spinach
• 1 x 300 g butter lettuce, pillowpack
• For the pickling liquid, mix
• 190 ml red wine vinegar
• 2 1/2 T sugar
• 1 red chilli, finely diced
• For the sweet chilli-and-ginger dressing:
• 125 g sugar
• 250 ml water
• 2 t red chilli, chopped
• 2 t ginger, chopped
• 1/2 lemon, sliced
• 250 ml canola oil
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• For the cheese balls:
• 4 T milk
• 75 g Camembert
• 75 g blue cheese
• 75 g white cheddar
• 1 1/2 T flour, plus extra for dusting
• 1 free-range egg, beaten
• 800 g breadcrumbs
• Canola oil, for deep frying

Method

Ingredients

Peel the butternut and cut into small batons about 1 x 3 cm thick.

Coat with olive oil, place in a hot pan and fry for 2 minutes on each side. Season with salt and allow to cool. Peel and grate the beetroot and place in the pickling liquid for at least 1 hour, or overnight.

Lightly toast the almonds and seeds in a dry pan over a low heat. Wash the spinach and lettuce, drain any excess water and mix together.

Mix with the sweet chilli dressing, divide between bowls and top with the beetroot, scatter over the butternut, almonds and seeds. Top with 3 cheese balls per person.

To make the sweet chilli-and-ginger dressing, dissolve the sugar in the water, then add the chilli.

Place the sugar water in a saucepan, add the ginger and lemon, then heat until it reaches a syrupy consistency. Blend and strain, then allow to cool. Once cooled, slowly whisk in the oil and season to taste.

To make the cheese balls, heat the milk and cheeses in a saucepan over a medium heat until the cheese has melted. Add the flour and cook until a soft dough forms and pulls away from the sides of the saucepan.

Allow to cool, roll into balls, dust in flour, then dip into the egg and breadcrumbs.

Deep-fry until golden brown

RELATED STORY:

Read more about chef Gary Richardson from The Stables restaurant on the Vergelegen wine estate who created this salad.