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

1. Begin by whisking together the ingredients for the vinaigrette. 
2. Season to taste. 
3. Trim the lettuces, discard the tough outer leaves and wash the sweet inner leaves. 
4. Dry in a salad spinner or gently pat dry in a clean tea towel and place in a salad bowl. 
5. Wash and gently dry the pea shoots and add to the bowl.
6. Cook the quail's eggs by boiling for 2 - 3 minutes.
7. Heat the oil in a frying pan and briskly cook the diced bacon until crisp. 
8. Scoop out with a slotted spoon and drain on some kitchen paper toweling before tipping into the salad. 
9. Meanwhile, peel the eggs and cut in half.
10. Toss the salad leaves in the vinaigrette before gently mixing in the peeled, halved quail eggs. Serve immediately.