Serves 4 – 6
INGREDIENTS
- 1 egg white
- juice from 2 lemons, divided
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 tbsp white vinegar
- 2 tsp grainy Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tbsp freshly shaved Parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 3 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 bunch large kale leaves, stems trimmed
- 1 pkg (8½ oz) smoked bacon
- 30 fresh smelts or sardines
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup canola oil
- lemons (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
- To make the dressing, in a large bowl whisk together the egg white, juice from one of the lemons, olive oil, vinegar, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. After everything is thoroughly mixed, add the mayo and give the mixture one final stir. Cover the bowl and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight. It is best to prepare the dressing the day before you want to make the salad so its flavours have time to develop.
- To prepare the salad, drizzle the kale leaves with juice from one of the lemons so the acid can cook the leaves just a bit. Let the leaves sit in the juice for about 5 minutes.
- In a small pan, cook the bacon over medium heat for about 8 minutes. Crispy bacon is the only way to go. Either leave the bacon as full strips or cut each slice in half. Remove from the heat and set aside until needed.
- For the crouton anchovies, dump all the sardines or smelts in a bowl filled with the flour, and then fry them in a table-top deep-fryer or a pot with the canola oil at 350° F for about 6 minutes or until crispy. Using a pastry brush, lightly paint the kale leaves with the salad dressing, and layer the leaves on a plate with the sardines, bacon and large Parmesan cheese shavings. Grill a couple lemons for some added garnish and lemony goodness on the side.
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