Serves 4

This rich salad is a meal in itself. In the absence of pickled eggs, you could use hard-boiled or poached eggs instead. You could use the bacon fat to make the croutons. We would.

100 g (3½ oz) dry-cured nitrate-free bacon or pancetta, cut into batons (lardons)

2 handfuls curly endive (frisée), washed and torn into moderate-sized pieces

100 g (3½ oz) croutons (see note)

Matthew’s vinaigrette dressing

2 beetroot (beets), simmered until tender, peeled, then cut into eighths and kept warm

4 pickled pub eggs, quartered

Heat the bacon in a large frying pan over medium heat and fry gently until it starts to surrender its fat. While it cooks, assemble the rest of the salad.

Toss the frisée with the croutons and enough vinaigrette to lightly coat the leaves. Taste for salt and pepper, though remember the bacon will be salty. Divide between four large flat bowls and dot the beetroot and eggs evenly around each one. Just before you eat, spoon the bacon over the salad, including some of the fat, and eat while warm.

NOTE: To make the croutons, dice some white bread, toss it in olive oil to coat and cook in a 180°C (350°F/Gas 4) oven for about 10–15 minutes, tossing and turning often, or until crisp.