Name: Salade aux noix
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 1 large head buttercrunch lettuce or similar small-leafed variety; 1 large clove garlic; 1 baguette (ideally one that's half a day old), sliced into thin rounds; olive oil, for drizzling and frying; 100 gram walnut halves; 200 gram lardons or dry-cured bacon cut into 1cm x 2cm pieces – order from your butcher; Dressing; 3 tablespoon sherry vinegar (if you can't find it, use red wine vinegar); 1 tablespoon dijon mustard; 1 tablespoon walnut oil (if you can't get it, use olive oil); 5 tablespoon olive oil

Salade aux noix

A flavoursome salad with fried walnuts and lardons, fast croutons and a zingy vinaigrette.

Serves 6

Prep

15M

Cook

15M

Total

30M

Ingredients

1 large head buttercrunch lettuce or similar small-leafed variety

1 large clove garlic

1 baguette (ideally one that's half a day old), sliced into thin rounds

olive oil, for drizzling and frying

100 gram walnut halves

200 gram lardons or dry-cured bacon cut into 1cm x 2cm pieces – order from your butcher

Dressing

3 tablespoon sherry vinegar (if you can't find it, use red wine vinegar)

1 tablespoon dijon mustard

1 tablespoon walnut oil (if you can't get it, use olive oil)

5 tablespoon olive oil

Method

Salade aux noix

1.Preheat oven to 180°C fanbake.

2.Wash and dry lettuce leaves and place in a large mixing bowl.

3.Cut garlic in half and rub briefly over each slice of baguette (one side only). Lay slices on a baking tray, drizzle a little oil over them, turn and drizzle on the other side.

4.Bake in oven until just starting to turn golden brown (5-8 minutes), remove and set aside to cool.

5.If walnuts aren’t young and creamy, cover with boiling water in a small bowl.

6.In a frying pan cook lardons in a drop of oil until starting to crisp. Leaving fat in pan, remove bacon with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Add walnuts (drain them first if they’ve been soaking) to pan of bacon fat and fry until lightly browned; take care as it may spit.

Dressing

7.In a jar or small bowl, mix together sherry vinegar, mustard and oils. Add some salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

8.Just before serving, pour dressing over leaves, toss to combine, then arrange a handful on each plate. Scatter with lardons, walnuts and 4-5 croutons each.

Women's Weekly Food