Soft-boiled egg, bacon & watercress salad
Serves 2
Prep 10 mins plus marinating
Cook 5 mins
£1.09 a portion
438 kcals, 28g fat, 6g sat. fat, 1g sugar
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, drycured bacon
2 slices good white crusty bread (ideally sourdough)
2 good handfuls
British watercress, thick stems removed
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.
2 Mix the shallot with the vinegar and a pinch of salt, then set aside for a few mins to soften. Whisk in the mustard, oil and chives, if using, to make a dressing.
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.
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.
Buying watercress
As well as green British watercress, a striking red watercress is now available in some supermarkets. It has the same distinctive peppery flavour and looks good in salads.