Ingredients

• 3 large beetroot
• skin on and scrubbed
• 2 garlic cloves
• crushed
• 1 bay leaf
• 10g/½oz sprigs of thyme
• ½ tsp black peppercorns
• 50g/1¾oz caster sugar
• 500ml/18fl oz red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp coarse sea salt
• 40g/1½oz unsalted butter
• fridge-cold and cut into 2cm/¾in cubes
• plus extra
• melted
• for greasing
• 50g/1¾oz pumpkin seeds
• toasted
• 5 digestive biscuits
• roughly crumbled
• 40g/1½oz Parmesan
• coarsely grated
• ½ tsp salt
• 20g/¾oz unsalted butter
• 1 leek
• thinly sliced
• 360g/12oz cream cheese
• 170g/6oz crème fraîche
• 80g/3fl oz double cream
• 2 garlic cloves
• crushed
• 20g/¾oz chives
• finely snipped
• 1 tbsp chopped basil
• ½ tsp salt
• 100g/3½oz Stilton
• roughly crumbled
• 4 free-range eggs
• lightly beaten
• 40g/1½oz runny honey (mixed
• optionally
• with a few drops of truffle oil)
• 30g/1oz hazelnuts
• toasted and lightly crushed
• 15g/½oz baby basil

Directions

• Put all the ingredients for the pickled beetroot in a medium
• lidded saucepan. Pour over 800ml/1 pint 8fl oz water. The beetroots should be submerged
• so add a little more water if you need to. Bring to the boil
• then reduce the heat to medium and cook
• covered
• for 35–40 minutes
• or until the beetroot is soft. Leave to cool completely.
• Lift the beetroots out of the liquid
• then peel and cut them into 1cm/½in dice. Put it in the bowl. Strain the pickling liquid
• and return it to the pan. Cook over a medium heat for 25 minutes
• or until reduced by half to about 600ml/1 pint 2fl oz. Set aside to cool
• then pour the liquid over the beetroots. Cover and chill in the fridge for 24 hours.
• For the bases
• lightly grease eight 12cm/6in diameter ramekins or soufflé tins with melted butter and place a circle of baking paper in the base of each.
• Put all the ingredients for the cheesecake base in a food processor. Pulse to form fine crumbs
• then divide between the ramekins
• pressing down evenly and firmly.
• For the cheesecake toppings
• preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over a medium heat for 7 minutes
• stirring from time to time
• until soft. Leave the leeks to cool
• then transfer them to a large mixing bowl.
• Add the cream cheese
• crème fraîche
• cream
• garlic
• chives
• basil
• salt and a good grind of black pepper to the leeks. Mix well to form a smooth paste. Gently fold in the blue cheese and eggs
• then pour the mixture into the ramekins.
• Bake for 25–30 minutes
• until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
• Serve immediately
• in the ramekins or soufflé tins
• garnished with a drizzle of honey
• the hazelnuts and basil. The beetroot
• strained
• can be spooned on top of the cheesecakes before the garnishes
• or served alongside.