1 Take each beetroot and lightly oil and place in an ovenproof saucepan with a tight-fitting lid and bake in a medium oven until soft through. This can take anything from 20 minutes to an hour depending on the time of year and the age of the beets.

2 Once the beets are soft through when pierced with a knife, remove from the oven and allow to cool.

3 When cooled, peel and roughly chop and place in a food processor along with a little olive oil, a good pinch of salt and pepper and the zest and juice of the orange (or mint or horseradish).

4 Blitz for a minute until it all looks smooth. Taste it and add more oil and or seasoning to get the balance right. This is where adding a squeeze of lemon will bring it all together by cutting the sweetness of the beets and orange.

5 Store in the fridge until needed, removing it 30 minutes before eating to come to room temperature.