BRUSSELS SPROUT

CAESAR SALAD

Serves 6

You will need:

• 6 slices of stale or day-old bread (I find sourdough or focaccia works best)

• 125ml extra-virgin olive oil

• A few cracks of the black pepper mill

• 2 organic eggs yolks

• 2 lemons, juice only

• 6-8 anchovy fillets

• 2 cloves garlic, sliced

• Splash of Worcestershire sauce

• Large handful of finely grated Parmesan

• 1kg Brussels sprouts

• Bunch of fresh parsley, leaves only

1 If you like, the dressing and the croutons can be made 24 hours in advance. To make the croutons, fire up your oven to 190°C, 375°F, Gas 5. Cut your stale or day-old bread into bite-sized cubes and tumble them into a little of your extra-virgin olive oil. Season with a few twists of the black pepper mill, and bake the croutons on a tray (use one with a rim) for 10 minutes, or until they are crispy.

Set the croutons aside to cool.

2 To make the Caesar dressing, use the smallest bowl of your food processor. Add the egg yolks, the lemon juice, the anchovy fillets, the sliced garlic, a splash of Worcestershire sauce (or a pinch of cayenne if you haven’t any) and the finely grated Parmesan. Blend until smooth — about 15 seconds.

3 While the food processor motor is running, begin to add the remaining olive oil drop by drop. Progress to a cheeky stream of olive oil as the dressing thickens. Expect to be doing this for 3-4 minutes, so arm yourself with a good podcast before committing.

4 Slice the bum off each Brussels sprout, and remove any sad outer leaves. Slice each sprout in half, and then, using a sharp knife, slice each half into ribbons.

5 Tumble the sprout ribbons into a large salad bowl. Add most of the Caesar dressing, the fresh parsley leaves and the croutons. Taste, and decide whether you need more dressing. If not, store the leftover dressing in ice-cube trays for another evening. Serve immediately.