SALAD WITH ANCHOVIES RECIPES

1. For the croutons, tear the ciabatta up into bite-sized pieces. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat. Once hot, tip in the ciabatta and toss well to coat in the oil.
2. Cook gently for 5 to 10 minutes, or until crisp and golden; try to resist adding more oil – they will turn golden given a bit of time. Tip onto a plate, then wipe out the pan with kitchen paper and set aside.
3. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, then add the broccoli and cook until just tender (about 5 minutes for purple sprouting or 3 minutes for tenderstem).
4. Fill a bowl with cold water, then lift the broccoli from the pan and into the cold water to cool. Keep the pan of water on the hob.
5. Gently lower the eggs into the pan of boiling water and simmer for 6 minutes, or until they are just soft in the middle. Drain and set aside.
6. Tip the broccoli into a colander, then cool the eggs in a fresh bowl of cold water for a few minutes.
7. Next, combine 1 tablespoon of oil with the mustard, vinegar and sugar, plus 1 tablespoon of cold water and a little seasoning to make the dressing. Peel, then halve the eggs.
8. Peel and thinly slice the garlic, tear up the anchovies and trim and finely chop the chilli.
9. Put 1 tablespoon of oil in the frying pan, place over a medium heat and fry the garlic for 30 seconds. Toss in the drained broccoli and cook for 2 minutes over a high heat, until starting to colour here and there.
10. Spread the broccoli over a platter, then add the eggs, croutons and anchovies. Scatter with the chilli, drizzle over the dressing and serve.

Chop the tomatoes into irregular chunks and muddle them around in a serving bowl with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, all the basil leaves and a big pinch of salt. If you have them, add the sun-dried tomatoes now too. Put the bowl to one side, somewhere sunny if possible, and leave to mingle while you get on with the rest of the dish.

Mix the red onion with the vinegar in a small bowl. Set aside to soften for 10 minutes.

Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan and add the breadcrumbs, frying them for a couple of minutes until they start to turn golden. Add the anchovies and garlic and keep stirring for 1–2 more minutes until the breadcrumbs are crispy, then remove from the heat.

Drain the sliced onion and add to the tomatoes, then scatter over the breadcrumbs and whisk the salad to the table to serve while the the breadcrumbs are still crunchy.