Roasted Beetroot with Labneh, Dukkah and Crispy Lentils

Ingredients

• 800g mixed beetroot (a mix of purple and golden if you can get them)
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 1 tsp flaky sea salt
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp runny honey
• 150g puy lentils
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 tbsp olive oil (for frying)
• ½ tsp flaky sea salt
• 400g labneh (or thick Greek yoghurt strained through muslin for 4 hours)
• 1 small garlic clove, grated
• zest of 1 lemon
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• pinch of sea salt
• 4 tbsp dukkah (shop-bought or homemade)
• 1 preserved lemon, rind only, finely chopped (optional)
• small handful mint leaves, torn
• small handful flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp pomegranate seeds
• drizzle of extra virgin olive oil to finish

Method

1. Heat the oven to 200°C fan. Scrub the beetroot but leave the skins on — roasting skin-on traps the earthy juices and keeps the colour vivid instead of bleeding out into the tray. Sit them on a large sheet of foil with the thyme, 1 tbsp of the olive oil and a generous pinch of salt, then scrunch into a sealed parcel and roast on a tray for 50–60 minutes. They're done when a knife slides into the largest one with no resistance — undercooked beetroot stays chalky in the middle, so push past the point where you think they're ready.
2. While the beetroot roast, simmer the lentils. Tip them into a pan with the bay leaf, cover with cold water by 5cm and bring to a gentle simmer for 18–20 minutes until just tender but still holding their shape — you want them cooked through but not blown out, because they need to crisp later, not collapse. Drain well and spread on a clean tea towel to dry thoroughly. Dry lentils crisp; wet lentils spit and steam.
3. Make the labneh base. Stir the grated garlic, lemon zest, olive oil and a pinch of salt through the labneh. The garlic stays raw here, so keep it small and finely grated — and use it now, not later, so the rawness mellows into the yoghurt while everything else cooks. Taste — it should be sharp, savoury, lifted. Adjust the salt now, not at the table. Set aside at room temperature; fridge-cold labneh seizes up on the plate and won't spread properly.
4. When the beetroot are tender, open the parcel carefully — there will be a burst of steam. Once cool enough to handle, slip the skins off with a piece of kitchen paper; they'll rub away easily, and the paper stops your hands staining. Slice into wedges or 1cm rounds depending on size. Toss in a bowl with the red wine vinegar, honey, remaining 2 tbsp olive oil and a pinch of salt. Dress them while still warm — warm beetroot drinks the dressing in, cold beetroot just wears it.
5. Crisp the lentils. Heat the 4 tbsp olive oil in a wide stainless or cast-iron frying pan over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Tip in the dried lentils in a single layer — they should sizzle immediately. Don't crowd the pan; if your pan is small, do this in two batches, because crowded lentils steam and turn greasy instead of crunchy. Fry for 4–5 minutes, stirring often, until they're deep brown and audibly crisp when you stir them. Lift out with a slotted spoon onto kitchen paper and season straight away with the flaky salt — it sticks to the hot oil.
6. Build the plate. Spread the labneh in a generous swoosh across a large platter using the back of a spoon — leave it thick, with peaks and valleys to catch the oil. Lay the dressed beetroot over the top, golden and purple alternating so the colours don't muddy each other.
7. Scatter the dukkah generously across the beetroot — don't be shy, this is the seasoning and the texture. Follow with the preserved lemon rind (if using), torn mint, parsley and pomegranate seeds. Taste a corner of the plate — labneh, beetroot and a lentil together — and adjust with a final pinch of flaky salt if it needs it.
8. To serve, warm the flatbreads, tuck a few rocket leaves around the edge of the platter, set the lemon wedges alongside for squeezing over, and put the extra dukkah on the table in its small bowl. Finish the platter with a long drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a squeeze of lemon over the beetroot just before it goes down.