Broad beans, peas, anchovy and soft-boiled egg

This salad is an excellent side dish yet substantial enough on its own to serve as a light spring lunch. The broad beans and peas are bright green flavours that burst through the richness of the anchovy while the radicchio adds a slightly bitter edge, keeping it all interesting.

Broad beans, peas, anchovy and soft-boiled egg Credit: China Squirrel

• serves

  2–4

• prep

  30 minutes

• cook

  10 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 10 good-quality large anchovy fillets
• 2 medium garlic cloves
• 1 tsp hot English mustard
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 60 ml (¼ cup) delicate extra virgin olive oil
• 4 eggs, at room temperature
• ½ small red onion, thinly sliced
• 185 g (1 cup) double-peeled broad beans (about 700 g unpodded, see Cook’s tip)
• 155 g (1 cup) fresh green peas, blanched and refreshed in iced water (about 400 g unpodded)
• 2 cups roughly torn raddichio leaves
• squeeze of lemon juice
• 1 cup basil leaves
• river salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Place 6 anchovy fillets into a mortar and pestle with the garlic and mustard, pound to a smooth paste, then use the pestle to stir in the vinegar and then the oil. Set aside.

Slice the remaining anchovy fillets into thin long strips, set aside.

Place the eggs in a saucepan of rapidly boiling water and cook for 5 minutes. Remove the eggs and run under cold water for a minute or two. Carefully peel them (see Cook’s tips) and set aside.

Rinse your onion slices in a bowl of cold water, strain, squeeze and place in a large mixing bowl with the broad beans, peas and radicchio. Pour over the anchovy dressing and toss to combine thoroughly, adding a little lemon juice and testing for seasoning.

At the final moment, tear the basil into the salad and gently mix through a final time.

Transfer to a large platter, making sure the salad is sitting fairly flat and not too piled up.

Carefully cut the eggs in half, so you don’t lose any of the runny yolk and place them artfully over the salad. Strew the sliced anchovy fillets on top.

Season the yolks of the egg with salt and pepper, then drizzle a little olive oil directly into the yolks. Serve immediately.

Cook’s tips

• A good way to peel the eggs is to crack them gently all over and then peel them in a bowl of water, gently easing pieces of the shell off bit by bit.

• To prepare the broad beans, peel them from their thick outer pods. Blanch the beans in boiling water, then refresh in iced water. Peel the outer skins. 800 g whole broad beans yields about 200 g (1 packed cup) double-peeled broad beans.

Photography by Sharyn Cairns. Styling by Lee Blaylock. Food preparation by Tiffany Page.

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This recipe is part of The seasonal cook: Broad beans column.

View previous The seasonal cook columns and recipes.

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.