This radish salad is an ode to the Cobb salad, a chic but simple reimagining of one of my all-time favourites. While it shares the same presentation and some important ingredients (iceberg lettuce, creamy dressing, and crumbled bacon) this salad is composed of fresh components that are lighter than traditionally called for. If you’ve never had sautéed radishes you’re in for a treat, they take on a flavour similar to  peppery potato wedges and their bite is largely reduced by spending ten minutes in hot fat. You can either get fussy and plate this individually (really impressive for a lunch dish with some good bread and a wedge of aged cheddar), or you can spread all of the ingredients across a large shallow platter in a sort of green and red rainbow. If you’re serving it on one big plate I would suggest decanting the dressing into a pouring vessel and letting your dinner companions help themselves, this will prevent the salad from becoming soggy if it sits out for any length of time. The red onion can be substituted for any kind of onion, shallots and scallions work particularly well, and the almonds can be replaced with toasted pine nuts, sunflower seeds, or pistachios. If this salad is being served as a main course I would add sliced hardboiled egg and some poached chicken breast as well as some crumbled Buttermilk Blue cheese.

warm radish salad with bacon and toasted almonds:

(makes enough for 2 large salads)

2 pieces of bacon

1 tsp. butter

1 1/2 cups of sliced radishes

1/2 a small red onion, sliced into thin half moons

3 cups of iceberg lettuce

3 cups of mixed salad greens

2 Tbsp. snipped fresh chives

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted in a pan over low heat

Greek Yogurt and Basil Salad Dressing

Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper.

1. Cook the bacon in a medium-sized skillet over medium-high heat until crispy. Remove from the heat and drain on paper towel, crumble when cool.
2. Turn the heat down to medium and add the butter to the remaining bacon fat and add the radish slices and red onion. Stirring occasionally, cook for about ten minutes or until the radishes begin to turn brown and crisp up. Remove from heat.
3. Arrange the iceberg lettuce and salad greens in alternating stripes of green. Next add the radish and red onion mixture for a bright pop of colour. Top with crumbled bacon, toasted almonds, fresh chives and parsley, and then the dressing. Finish with kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste (I like lots of pepper to compliment the radishes).

I love how Damon Albarn has matured as a songwriter, I’ve always appreciated Blur’s mellower catalogue as an antidote to their largely manic library of music. Luckily, Albarn still manages to charm with his mopey voice and minimal score.

Damon Albarn – Lonely Press Play