Artichoke & lemon salad

Contains pork – recipe is for non-Muslims only
Tom Kime’s simple summer salad is perfect for outdoor entertaining, and involves the minimum of fuss

Prep:45 mins

Serves 6
Easy

Nutrition per serving

kcal 432
fat 32g
saturates 6g
carbs 12g
sugars 4g
fibre 4g
protein 21g
salt 2.78g

Ingredients

3 lemons, plus a squeeze to taste
2 tbsp rock salt
140g blanched almonds
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
2 tbsp clear honey
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
5 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 x 400g cans artichoke hearts in salted water, rinsed and halved
50g bag rocket leaves
2 x 80g packs ready-sliced prosciutto (about 12 slices)
70g pack ready-sliced bresaola (about 11 slices)
70g pack ready-sliced salami napoli (about 12 slices)

Method

Three hours before serving, put the two whole lemons into a saucepan of water with the rock salt. Place a small lid or saucer on the lemons to keep them submerged and simmer for 10 minutes until they are soft when tested with the point of a knife. Tip the lemons into a sieve and cool under the cold tap.
Dry roast the almonds in a small frying pan until golden brown, stirring frequently to make sure they don’t burn, then set aside. In a large bowl, mix the thyme with the honey, vinegar and olive oil. Squeeze the juice from the remaining lemon and add to the honey mixture.
Halve the boiled lemons, then trim away all the flesh and membranes with a sharp knife and discard.Remove all the bitter white pith from the inside of the skin. Finely chop the remaining thin pieces of lemon skin and toss them into the dressing with the artichokes. Taste, adding more fresh lemon juice if too salty. Pile into a serving dish, cover and keep at cool room temperature.
To serve: arrange the cold meat on a platter. Toss the rocket into the salad with the roasted almonds (add the nuts at the last minute so they remain crunchy) and serve in a bowl.