3123. HERRING MILT, BACON and SAMPHIRE SALAD

serves four


1 tablespoon vegetable or corn oil
120-150 grams piece of streaky bacon, cut into 1cm chunks
150 grams herring roes, fresh or frozen, rinsed and dried on kitchen paperplain flour for dusting
100-120 grams samphire, trimmed of any woody stalks and washed
a handful of small salad leaves, washed and dried
salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the dressing
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
2 teaspoons Tewkesbury or Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons groundnut oil
2 tablespoons rapeseed oil

Heat the vegetable oil in a heavy-based frying pan and cook the bacon on a medium heat, turning the pieces as they are cooking for 3-4 minutes, until nicely coloured. Remove with a slotted spoon, leaving the fat in the pan. Season and lightly flour the herring roes and fry in the same pan as the bacon on a medium heat for 4-5 minutes, turning them until nicely coloured. Remove and drain on some kitchen paper. Keep them warm with the bacon. Blanch the samphire in boiling water for 20 seconds, then drain. Whisk all of the ingredients together for the dressing and season. To serve, arrange the herring roes, bacon, salad leaves and samphire on serving plates and spoon over the dressing.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Mark Hix, The Independent, July 6, 2013