I needed an excuse to use my new slicing mandolin, so found a recipe involving shavings of fennel bulb. As always with salads, it all comes down to fresh ingredients and a really good dressing. Vegetarian parmesan is sometimes tricky to find but any decent hard cheese will work.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp cider vinegar
• 1 tsp ijon  mustard
• 1 egg yolk
• 3 tbsp parmesan, or other hard cheese
• 2tsp lemon juice
• 2 thick slices bread
• olive oil to fry bread
• 1 medium fennel bulb, finely shaved
• small hot salad leaves such as rocket and watercress
• a block of paremesan (or similar) for shaving
• salt and pepper

Make the dressing by combining all of the wet ingredients, whisking with a little salt and pepper.

Cut the bread into small squares ans fry until golden. Toss the leaves and fennel with the dressing. Pile the salad onto two plates and add upto eight shavings of parmesan to each plate. Tip the hot croutons over the salad and eat straight away.

And though it might be gilding the Slater lily, you can always add a poached egg on top of the croutons.