Beetroot & feta lattice | Daily Mail Online

It’s no secret that I always keep vacuum-packed cooked beetroot and feta cheese in my refrigerator at all times. They have saved me from going hungry on many occasions and are actually rather wonderful paired together, especially in salads. But sometimes you want something warm and comforting. That perfect balance of a sweet, salty and creamy filling encased in puff pastry is comfort food personified. Hot or cold, side dish or main, it’s a winner.   

Serves 4-6

400g vacuum-packed cooked beetroot in natural juice (or peeled, cooked whole fresh beetroot)

1 heaped tsp dried wild oregano

1 tsp chilli flakes

300g vegetarian feta cheese

320g ready-rolled all-butter puff pastry sheet

beaten egg, to glaze

freshly ground black pepper

•  Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Line a baking tray with baking paper.

•  Coarsely grate the beetroot. Place in a sieve and squeeze out as much of the juices as you can without mashing it. Tip it into a mixing bowl with the oregano, chilli flakes and a generous amount of pepper, then loosely crumble in the feta and give everything a good mix.

•  Cut the pastry sheet in half lengthways to form 2 long rectangles (one for the base of the lattice and one for the top). Lay the pastry base on the prepared baking tray and spoon the filling along its length, then use your hands to neatly pack and compress the filling into a sausage shape, leaving a 1cm border of pastry.

•  Take the pastry top and make a series of small diagonal cuts in rows, leaving a 3cm border of uncut pastry (or cut a pattern of your choosing). Lay the top over the filling, carefully stretching it to cover the filling, then tuck the edges underneath the pastry base to neaten and hide the seam. Press the edges down firmly to seal, then brush beaten egg over all the exposed pastry.

•  Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the pastry is deep golden brown. Remove from the oven and serve hot or cold, cut into slices.