Soft-boiled egg, bacon & watercress salad
- Preparation and cooking time
- Prep:
- Cook:
- Plus marinating
- Easy
- Serves 2
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 shallot, very finely chopped
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 heaped tsp wholegrain mustard
- 2 tbsp rapeseed oil
- handful chives, snipped (optional)
- 4 thick rashers streaky smoked dry-cured bacon
- 2 slices good white crusty bread (ideally sourdough)
- 2 good handfuls British watercress, thick stems removed
Method
- STEP 1
Put the eggs in a pan of cold water and bring to the boil. Boil for 3 mins, then lift into a bowl of iced water and cool completely. Very carefully peel away the shells. Leave the eggs in the iced water until you finish the recipe, or for up to 1 hr ahead.
- STEP 2
Mix the shallot with the vinegar and a pinch of salt, then set aside for a few minutes to soften. Whisk in the mustard, oil and chives, if using, to make a dressing.
- STEP 3
Heat the grill to low-medium and cook the bacon until crisp right through. Remove the bacon, then brush the bacon juice and fat all over the bread. Grill the bread for about 1 min on each side until crisp, then cut into soldiers and keep warm.
- STEP 4
Just before serving, bring the pan of water back to the boil and add the eggs. Boil for 1 min to reheat. Toss the dressing with the watercress and divide between 2 plates. Top with an egg and 2 rashers of bacon, with the toast to the side. The egg yolks will still be runny inside.
