Beetroot & Potato Rosti

Beetroot is a funny little thing. It's a violent vegetable, one that stains your skin, nails and clothes a deep, rich pink. In grating it, be it for salads or this rosti recipe, I invariably manage to leave a spray of juice behind; when dried, it looks like I've killed someone. But it has a earthy quality, one that's well paired with Scandinavian flavours of smoky fish and aniseedy dill.

Forman and Field sent me some of their smoked salmon, and their London cure worked brilliantly with the rosti. Supermarket smoked salmon can be aggressively salted and oily; this was melt in the mouth and delicate. I imagine this would make a lovely little starter. I just ate enough for 2 as my dinner.

Beetroot & Potato Rosti

Serve 2

4 large Vivaldi potatoes
2 beetroot
1 small onion
A hefty pinch of salt
Loads of black pepper
1 egg

I didn't bother to peel the potatoes, but do peel the beetroot. Grate into a bowl and then season. Gather in about 4 sheets of kitchen towel and squeeze all the moisture out - squeeze like hell so that your hands turn nice and red.

Whisk an egg in a bowl and add the potato and beetroot. Add the onion, sliced finely and the black pepper. Heat some oil in a non-stick pan and add the mixture to the pan, shaping it into a circle. Fry on a low heat, for about 15 minutes. Slide out onto a plate, then flip it back in, uncooked side down for a further 15 minutes until cooked through and crispy.

Serve with rocket dressed in a dill, yoghurt and lemon rind dressing with curls of smoked salmon.