Recipe · Vegetarian · Indirect and grill
Roasted Beet with GrilledBimi and Soft Cheese
A vegetable dish built on contrast: earthy roasted beets, grilled bimi, lightly smoked peas, soft white cheese, toasted hazelnuts and pickled red onion. Fresh, smoky, creamy and crunchy all at once. Perfect as a vegetarian main or a standout BBQ side.
What you need
Ingredients
For the vegetables
- 700 g raw beetroot, mix of red and yellow
- 300 g bimi (baby broccoli)
- 500 g fresh peas or broad beans in the pod
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Smoked Maldon salt
- 150 ml apple cider vinegar
- 75 ml water
- 50 g sugar or honey
- Sumac to taste
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ lemon, zest
- Sumac, flat leaf parsley, tarragon, chives
For the pickled red onion
- 2 red onions
For the soft cheese
- 200 g soft white cheese, e.g. ricotta
To finish
- 75 g hazelnuts
How to make it
Method
Make the pickled red onion
Slice the red onion into thin rings. Bring the vinegar, water, sugar or honey and a pinch of salt briefly to the boil. Pour the hot pickling liquid over the onion and leave for at least 30 minutes. Season with extra sumac if you like.
Fire up The Bastard
Heat The Bastard to 180–200°C and set up for indirect cooking. Make sure you can also grill directly later for the bimi.
Roast the beets
Rub the beets with olive oil and smoked salt. Place indirectly on The Bastard, loosely wrapped in foil or in a dish. Roast until completely tender — allow 60 to 90 minutes depending on size. Leave to cool slightly, peel and cut into wedges.
Season the soft cheese
While the beets are roasting, mix the soft cheese with olive oil, lemon zest, black pepper and a little smoked salt. Fold in finely chopped chives or tarragon if you like. Keep chilled until needed.
Toast the hazelnuts
Toast the hazelnuts in a pan or dish on The Bastard until they start to smell nutty and turn lightly golden. Leave to cool and chop roughly.
Smoke the peas or broad beans
Place the pods briefly on The Bastard over indirect heat with a light smoke. They don't need to cook through fully — the idea is warmth, a little bite and a subtle smoky flavour. Drizzle with olive oil and season with smoked salt.
Grill the bimi
Drizzle the bimi with olive oil and smoked salt. Grill directly over the coals until the stems are just tender and the tips are lightly charred.
