Bresaola salad (insalata della valtellina)

This simple but nutritious salad is satisfying enough to have as a main course. Bresaola is cured, air-dried beef typically made in the Valtellina area of Lombardy. Lean and tender and with little added salt it is perfect in salads, as in this recipe, and is readily available in Italian delis and larger supermarkets.

• serves

  4

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  5 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 3 slices bread
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 gem lettuce, leaves separated
• 1 small handful wild rocket
• 100 g radishes, sliced
• 20 black olives
• 2 eggs, hard-boiled and quartered
• 80 g bresaola, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp finely shaved fresh parmesan

Dressing

• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 garlic clove, left whole and pierced with a knife

Instructions

Remove the crusts from the bread and slice into small triangles. Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the bread and fry on both sides until golden. Remove and leave to dry on kitchen paper.

Meanwhile make the dressing. Combine all the dressing ingredients and whisk together with a fork until you obtain a creamy consistency. Remove the garlic clove from the dressing.

Arrange the lettuce leaves, rocket, radishes and olives on a serving dish, pour over the dressing and toss well. Add the eggs, bresaola and fried bread and scatter over the parmesan shavings.

Photography by David Loftus

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.