• a selection of lettuces and salad leaves, e.g. butterhead, iceberg, endive, raddichio trevisano, watercress, salad burnet, tiny spring onions etc.—the larger the selection the more interesting the salad will be
• 6 ozs (170 g) streaky bacon, in the piece, green or lightly smoked
• 4 slices of white bread
• 1 large or 2 small avocados

Walnut Oil Dressing

• 4 tablesp. (¼ cup) walnut oil or 2 tablesp. (⅛ cup) each walnut oil and sunflower or arachide oil mixed
• 1 tablesp. and 1 teasp. wine vinegar
• 1 teasp. chopped chives
• 1 teasp. chopped parsley
• salt and freshly ground pepper

Garnish

• 18 walnut halves

Wash and dry the salad leaves and tear them into bite-sized pieces. Put into a bowl, cover and refrigerate until needed. Cut the rind off the piece of bacon and discard. Cut the bacon into ¼ inch (5 mm) lardons and then blanch and refresh in cold water if necessary. Dry on kitchen paper. Cut the crusts off the bread and cut into exact ¼ inch (5 mm) cubes. Fry until golden in clarified butter or a mixture of butter and oil. Drain on kitchen paper. Make the Walnut Oil Dressing in the usual way by whisking the ingredients together; add the chopped herbs. Halve the avocado, remove the stone, peel and cut into ½ inch (1 cm) dice.