Curly endive, soft-boiled egg, pancetta and Jerusalem artichoke salad

Name: Curly endive, soft-boiled egg, pancetta and Jerusalem artichoke salad
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 8 eschalots; Extra virgin olive oil; 4 Jerusalem artichokes, scrubbed; Salt flakes; Freshly ground black pepper; 4 free-range eggs at room temperature; 1 large densely packed head of curly endive (frisee), mainly pale yellow soft leaves, trimmed and coarse leaves removed; 3 slices sourdough bread; 3 cloves garlic, 1 whole, 2 sliced; 200g pancetta or smoked bacon, rind removed and cut into lardons; 50ml sherry vinegar; 

Karen Martini

October 1, 2013

Curly endive, soft-boiled egg, pancetta and Jerusalem artichoke salad.Marcel Aucar

easyTime:1-2 hoursServes:4

This salad is based on the classic marriage of egg and bacon, with the endive adding a fresh and bitter complement to the rich, earthy and salty flavours.

Ingredients

8 eschalots
Extra virgin olive oil
4 Jerusalem artichokes, scrubbed
Salt flakes
Freshly ground black pepper
4 free-range eggs at room temperature
1 large densely packed head of curly endive (frisee), mainly pale yellow soft leaves, trimmed and coarse leaves removed
3 slices sourdough bread
3 cloves garlic, 1 whole, 2 sliced
200g pancetta or smoked bacon, rind removed and cut into lardons
50ml sherry vinegar

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C fan-forced or 200C conventional.
2. Rub the papery skin off the eschalots (but don't peel them), oil them and place in a roasting tray. Oil and season the Jerusalem artichokes, wrap them together in foil and place in the same roasting tray. Roast the eschalots until soft, about 25 minutes, then remove them. Keep roasting the artichokes until cooked, 30-40 minutes in total.
3. Cook the eggs in boiling water for 6½ minutes, refresh in cold water and peel.
4. Cool slightly, then skin and thoroughly chop the cooked eschalots (they'll become almost rough paste) and place on the bottom of your serving plate; season. Tear the endive and lay over the top.
5. Slice the Jerusalem artichoke into one-centimetre slices and tuck into the endive.
6. Toast the slices of bread and rub them with the whole garlic clove, drizzle with oil, cut into fingers and place on the side of the plate.
7. Break the eggs open with your hands and lay on the endive.
8. Heat a non-stick pan over high heat and fry the bacon lardons without oil for about five minutes or until brown and crisp. Add a splash of oil if necessary and the sliced garlic and cook until golden. Take off the heat, then add the sherry vinegar, season and spoon over the salad.