Shredded sprout ‘sort-of-caesar’ salad
- Preparation and cooking time
- Prep:
- Cook:
- plus soaking
- Easy
- Serves 4 as a side
Ingredients
- 200g brussels sprouts, any tough or blemished outer leaves removed
- squeeze of lemon juice
- handful of dried cranberries, soaked in boiling water for 20 mins
For the croutons
- 2 slices sourdough, torn into bite-sized pieces (about 100g)
- 2 anchovy fillets, torn
- 1 tsp chopped rosemary leaves
- 1 tbsp olive oil
For the dressing
- 1 large egg yolk
- 4 anchovy fillets
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- a few drops of hot sauce
- a few drops of Worcestershire sauce
- ½ tsp red wine vinegar
- pinch of caster sugar
- ½ lemon, juiced
- 70ml flavourless oil such as vegetable
- 30ml walnut oil
- 25g grated parmesan, plus extra shaved parmesan to serve
For the bacon and chestnuts
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 4 smoked streaky bacon rashers, sliced into lardons
- 4 cooked chestnuts, crumbled
Method
- STEP 1
Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. First, make the croutons. Combine the sourdough pieces with the anchovies and rosemary in a roasting tin. Drizzle over the oil, season with a little black pepper, then toss to coat evenly. Roast on a high shelf in the oven for 8-10 mins until golden and crisp. Set aside.
- STEP 2
For the dressing, put the egg yolk, anchovies, mustard and garlic in a small food processor with a pinch of salt, and blitz to a paste. Whisk the hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, sugar and lemon juice together in a small bowl until the sugar has dissolved. Combine the two oils in a small jug. With the food processor running, slowly pour in a quarter of the oil mixture, then add a little of lemon and vinegar mixture, then slowly add another quarter of the oil mixture. Continue to alternate between the oil and the lemon and vinegar mixtures (to keep the dressing from splitting) until you have a thick, creamy dressing. Add the parmesan and blitz again to combine. Taste for seasoning
- STEP 3
For the bacon and chestnuts, heat the oil in a heavy-based frying pan or skillet, and fry the bacon until starting to crisp up. Once the fat has rendered out from the bacon, add the chestnuts and stir to coat in the bacon fat, frying for a minute more. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- STEP 4
Using a mandoline or very sharp knife, finely shred the sprouts from the top to the base, then transfer to a large bowl and toss gently with your hands to break up some of the layers. Squeeze over a little lemon juice, then season with a small pinch of salt. Pour over just enough of the dressing to coat the sprouts – you don’t want them to be soggy, so start with a small amount and add more if needed. Drain the rehydrated cranberries and toss these through the sprouts, along with half the bacon and chestnut mixture and half the croutons. Transfer the salad to a large serving platter, or divide between plates or bowls. Top with the remaining croutons, bacon and chestnuts, then scatter over the shaved parmesan to serve.
