Here is a lovely, simple recipe for a caesar salad with crispy bacon for added flavour. This is a great light meal to have in the Summer, and takes less than 20 minutes to prepare. The recipe is adapted from Nigel Barden’s website. http://www.nigelbarden.com

Serves 4.

Ingredients.

1. 2 lettuces ( Cos or little gem type so that they are crispy)

2. 8 slices of smoked streaky bacon (or 200 grams bacon lardons)

3. 2 tablespoons olive oil

For the dressing:

4. 1 garlic clove (you can buy garlic in a jar if this is easier)

5. 15 grams parmesan cheese, plus extra to serve (you can buy ready-grated if this is easier)

6. 4 anchovy fillets, in oil. (you can buy a jar of anchovies instead of tinned, I found this easier)

7. 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar

8. 5 tablespoons mayonnaise

9. A few sprinkles of ground black pepper

10. Tarragon or parsley to serve (optional)

Method.

1. Prepare the lettuce, break off the leaves and tear them into pieces as you place them into a large salad bowl.

2. Dice the bacon into pieces , unless using lardons.

3. Coarsely chop the peeled garlic and grate the cheese.

4. To make the dressing, blend all the dressing ingredients in a food processor or use a stick blender to create a smooth sauce.

5. Put the dressing to one side or refrigerate until required (you can make it 1-2 days in advance if you like.)

6. Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan on a medium-high heat. Add the bacon pieces or lardons and sauté for 4-5 minutes, or until they are golden and slightly crisp. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon and lay it on kitchen paper. If you want to make life even easier you can buy packets of ready cooked crispy bacon pieces!

7. Sprinkle the crispy bacon over the lettuce and spoon the dressing over the bacon. Sprinkle over the herbs if using, along with some of the grated cheese.

8. I had a packet of croutons in the cupboard so decided to add these as a final touch to the salad bowl. They added a lovely crunch to each mouthful!

9. Serve immediately.