Serves - 4
Preparation Time - 10 - 20 minutes
Ingredients
You can vary the leaves for this salad, adding a few sprigs of herbs like tarragon, chervil, mint, chives or flat leaf parsley if you wish or a few baby lettuce leaves. Serve as a starter with lots of crusty bread.
For the vinaigrette
- 1 clove garlic, finely diced
- 1 teaspoon good Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons good white wine or champagne vinegar
- 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the salad
- 6 little gem lettuces
- 2-3 generous handfuls of pea shoots, washed
- 12 quail's eggs
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 225g back bacon, diced
Method
- Begin by whisking together the ingredients for the vinaigrette.
- Season to taste.
- Trim the lettuces, discard the tough outer leaves and wash the sweet inner leaves.
- Dry in a salad spinner or gently pat dry in a clean tea towel and place in a salad bowl.
- Wash and gently dry the pea shoots and add to the bowl.
- Cook the quail's eggs by boiling for 2 - 3 minutes.
- Heat the oil in a frying pan and briskly cook the diced bacon until crisp.
- Scoop out with a slotted spoon and drain on some kitchen paper toweling before tipping into the salad.
- Meanwhile, peel the eggs and cut in half.
- Toss the salad leaves in the vinaigrette before gently mixing in the peeled, halved quail eggs. Serve immediately.