Dandelion and bacon salad with duck egg

For the eggs: bring a pan of water to simmering point and pour in the vinegar. Crack the duck eggs into the water and poach for 2-3 minutes, or until the whites are cooked.

Use a slotted spoon to remove the eggs from the water then plunge them into a bowl of cold water to stop them cooking any further. Remove from the cold water and blot dry on kitchen paper.

Tip the flour into a shallow bowl, the lightly beaten egg into another shallow bowl, and the breadcrumbs into a third. Arrange them side-by-side.

Dust one of the duck eggs in the flour, turning to coat and shaking off any excess, then dip it in the beaten egg. Finally roll in the breadcrumbs to coat completely. Repeat with the other duck egg and set aside.

For the salad: heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and fry the bacon for 4-5 minutes, or until cooked and golden brown in patches.

Tip the dandelion leaves into a bowl and scatter the bacon pieces over them, leaving the oil in the pan.

Return the frying pan to the heat and pour in the sherry vinegar, swirling the pan to mix the vinegar with the residual oil. Season with a pinch of salt and a generous grinding of black pepper.

Taste the hot dressing and add a splash more olive oil or sherry vinegar if necessary, then pour over the bacon and dandelion.

To make croutons, return the pan to the heat, add a tablespoon of olive oil and fry the bread cubes for 3-4 minutes, stirring until golden on all sides.

. To deep-fry the duck eggs, heat the vegetable oil in a deep-fat fryer or a deep-sided saucepan. When the oil is hot, carefully drop the duck eggs into the oil and cook for 1-2 minutes or until the crumb coating is crisp and golden. Remove from the oil and drain on kitchen paper.

. Mix the croutons through the salad, arrange on serving plates and top each with a deep-fried duck egg. Serve immediately.