Salad Primavera, crisp charcuterie, new season asparagus, romaine hearts, rocket, Burford browns, parmesan crisps, anchovy salad cream

This is an Italian twist on the French classic, Salad Paysanne.  Anchovies, red wine vinegar, fennel salami and pancetta make it so.

The parmesan crisps are not difficult to make and take a few minutes – they’ll take the aesthetic to the next level.

INGREDIENTS

• A few rashers of pancetta
• A few rashers of prosciutto
• A few pieces of fennel salami
• Romaine hearts, inner leaves only
• Handful of rocket
• Bunch of asparagus
• Handful of cherry vine tomatoes
• 2 Burford brown eggs
• Small handful of radishes
• Generous handful of grated parmesan
• Pinch of smoked paprika
• Plenty of plain olive oil
• Tbsp of dijon mustard
• Tbsp of red wine vinegar
• Generous splash of anchovy oil
• 1 anchovy fillet
• 1 Burford brown egg yolk
• New season garlic clove
• Lemon zest
• Small handful of parsley
• Small handful of mint
• Small handful of basil
• A few thin baguette slices
• Pinch of sugar
• Pinch of salt
• Black milled pepper

MISE EN PLACE

• Preheat the oven to 160/180.
• In the oven, crisp up the charcuterie on a baking tray.
• Cut tomatoes in half and sprinkle with sugar and salt, then a splash of red wine vinegar. Place on a baking tray and brush lightly with olive oil. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes until softened, leave out to cool (ideally in the fridge overnight).
• Blanche the asparagus in salted boiling water for a 2 minutes and plunge into icy. Cut on the diagonal into 1.5-2cm lozenges.
• Pull the inner romaine heart leaves out, wash and reserve.
• Boil 2 eggs for 6 minutes and plunge into icy water. Peel and cut in halves.
• Peel new season garlic clove.
• Cut the radishes in half and then into 3 pieces, lengthways.
• Lay parchment paper on a baking tray ready for the parmesan crisps.
• Pick the parsley, tear the basil and mint.

METHOD

• Blitz the garlic, mustard, red wine vinegar, anchovy fillet, egg yolk together in a blender. Add a little water to loosen.
• Slowly pour enough plain olive oil into the mix and blitz.
• Add the anchovy oil and a squeeze of lemon juice.
• Grate in a little lemon zest to the salad cream, reserve.
• Sprinkle a tbsp of parmesan on the baking parchment and pinch of smoked paprika.
• Bake in the oven until crisp (a few minutes). Cool on the parchment for a few minutes and remove gently with a knife, laying to cool on a wire rack.
• Brush the baguette slices with garlic olive oil and bake in the oven until golden brown.
• Build the plate with the salad leaves, tomatoes, radishes, egg halves and asparagus.
• Build the charcuterie up in the middle to give the plate height and texture.
• Drizzle the anchovy salad cream in flicking motion – AKA ‘Jackson Pollack’ it.
• Place the parmesan crisps on top, sticking out like shards for height.
• Finish with milled black pepper.

BATTERIE DE CUISINE:

• Cooking pot
• Wooden spoon
• Liquidiser
• Knife
• Chopping board
• Ladle
• Serving vessel
• Bowls
• Pepper mill
• Tea towel