Gorgeous Goat's Cheese with Almonds, Beetroot and a Basil Pesto

As the family's resident foodie I'm often asked to do a bit of cooking for various family members, especially when they have guests round. I love it when this happens because I'm usually given complete freedom to make whatever I want and I use it as a chance to try something a bit different or a bit fancier than I would normally make at home.

This dish is the perfect starter as it's light, fresh and looks great on the plate too. The almond crust around the goat's cheese provides great texture and the little cubes of beetroot burst with flavour. What's more, the majority of the dish can be prepared in advance so it's great for dinner parties when you want to spend as much time with your guests as possible!

Gorgeous Goat's Cheese with Almonds, Beetroot and a Basil Pesto

Serves 4

For the beetroot:

250g/10½oz fresh beetroot
salt and freshly ground black pepper
75ml/3fl oz olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

For the goats' cheese:

vegetable oil, for frying

200g/7oz soft goat's cheese

75g/3oz plain flour

200g/7oz flaked almonds

For the dressing:

300g/7oz fresh basil leaves
75g/3oz almonds
1 garlic clove
100g/3½oz parmesan cheese
100ml/3½fl oz olive oil
small handful watercress, to serve

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.

For the beetroot, cut the beetroot into cubes and place into a bowl. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper and drizzle with the olive oil. Place onto a baking tray and transfer to the oven to roast for 30-40 minutes, or until soft. Remove from the oven and place into a bowl. Drizzle with the balsamic vinegar and stir to coat.

For the goats' cheese, cut the goats' cheese into twelve equal pieces and roll up into balls. Dredge the balls in the flour.

Spread the flaked almonds out on a plate and roll the cheese balls in the flaked almonds, pressing them into the cheese, to completely coat (don't worry if the almond flakes break up a bit).

Then half-fill a deep, heavy-bottomed pan with the oil and heat until a breadcrumb sizzles and turns brown when dropped into it. (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.) Carefully add the cheese balls to the hot oil and deep-fry for about 30 seconds - one minute, or until golden-brown all over. 

OR shallow fry the goats' cheese in a large frying pan, turning to brown on all sides. 

Carefully remove with a slotted spoon and drain onto kitchen paper.

For the dressing, place the basil, smoked almonds, garlic, parmesan and olive oil into a food processor and blend until smooth.

To serve, place a small amount of watercress onto each plate and place three goats' cheese balls on top. Place a few cubes of beetroot around the cheese and spoon over a little of the pesto dressing.

Recipe from Something For The Weekend