Artichokes Vinaigrette with Caviar

Ingredients

• 1.2 tin artichoke hearts, tinned; bottoms cut flat and leaves gently opened
• 2.oil, 4 tablespoons sunflower oil + 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3.wine vinegar, 2 scant tablespoons
• 4.salt and black pepper, freshly ground pepper; sprinkling of salt
• 5.sugar, a generous pinch
• 6.onion, chopped
• 7.eggs, hard-boiled; coarsely chopped
• 8.green and red peppers, cut into rings; for garnish
• 9.asparagus or hearts of palm, asparagus cuts or sliced hearts of palm; for garnish
• 10.parsley, for garnish
• 11.red caviar or stuffed olives, red caviar or chopped stuffed olives; for centre
• 12.lettuce, shredded; as a bed
• 13.black olives, to dot around the dish

Method

1. 1.Cut off the bottoms of the artichoke hearts so that they lie flat. Open the leaves gently.
2. 2.Place on a bed of shredded lettuce.
3. 3.Make the dressing: mix together very well the oil, the vinegar, the pepper, the salt, the mustard and the sugar. Add the chopped onion.
4. 4.Pour dressing over the artichokes.
5. 5.Place a little red caviar or chopped stuffed olives in centre of each artichoke and sprinkle with the chopped egg.
6. 6.Garnish with the green and red pepper rings, asparagus, parsley and hearts of palm. Dot with black olives.

Notes

• An elegant starter salad. Red caviar or stuffed olives in the centre of each artichoke is the centrepiece of the presentation.
• The card lists dry mustard as a dressing ingredient though it does not appear in the ingredients list — assumed ½ teaspoon dry mustard based on dressing instructions ('mix the oil, vinegar, pepper, salt, the mustard and the sugar').