Spring Salad with Local Duck Egg & Sourdough Crumb

Serves 6

Ingredients

6 Handfuls of mixed salad leaves, washed and spun dry Basic salad dressing (3 parts oil to one part vinegar of your choice)

6 tbsp of fresh sourdough breadcrumbs 3 tbsp of cold pressed rapeseed oil Knob of butter

6 fresh duck eggs

6 tsp of pickled green elderberries (or capers )

Freshly ground salt and black pepper

Method

Heat the oil and butter in a heavy pan until the butter foams. Add in the breadcrumbs and combine well, stirring often over a medium heat until the breadcrumbs are golden and crisp. Cool on absorbent paper.

Assemble your salad ingredients together in a bowl and add the capers or berries. (We use all the good things of Spring like cow parsley, ground elder, linden leaves and primrose flowers, etc. but a good mix of peppery flavourful salad leaves is fine). Toss in the dressing and season with salt.

In the centre of the plate place a spoon of the toasted crumbs. Arrange the salad leaves around to make a nest.

Bring a pan of water to the boil and lower the duck eggs into it carefully. Set a timer for 7 minutes. On the count of 7 minutes gently remove to a bowl of cold water and then drain. Work quickly to peel the soft boiled eggs and place in the nest. A twist of black pepper and salt on the egg and it’s good to serve immediately.

The textures of hot and cold and soft and crisp are very pleasing. This is a vibrant celebration of Spring. (If foraging do be very careful of what you consume and if at all wary just use ready prepared and selected leaves).