I love eggs in a salad, much to the horror of the rest of my family who pull up their noses at its delicious presence.

I particularly like a generous helping of chopped hardboiled egg with potato salad.

But when it really adds a new dimension to a dish is when you use it as the main ingredient in a Caesar salad.

I enjoy this so much that I regularly serve it as a starter at dinner parties. It?s also perfect for a light lunch ? particularly if you dine al fresco in the company of a nice crunchy loaf of bread and a bottle of chilled white wine.

To serve four starter portion of Egg Caesar salad you will need:

  • 5 large eggs, boiled for seven minutes
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 slices of whole wheat bread, crusts removed and cubed
  • 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
  • 1 cos lettuce
  • 1 small can of anchovy fillets in oil
  • 30g freshly grated Parmesan cheese

    For the dressing:

  • 1 egg
  • The oil from the tin of anchovies
  • ? teaspoon caster sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

    Peel the eggs and set one aside for the dressing.
    Quarter the five other eggs and set aside.
    Heat the olive oil in a large pan then fry the bread cubes and the garlic until the croutons are crisp.
    Remove croutons from the pan and drain on kitchen paper.
    Discard the garlic and the oil.
    Rip the cos into leaves and place on a salad platter.
    Place the eggs around the lettuce.
    Sprinkle the croutons over the lettuce and egg.
    Chop the anchovies and sprinkle over the salad.
    Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
    In a food processor whiz the remaining egg, oil from the anchovy can, lemon juice, caster sugar, mustard and Worcestershire sauce until smooth.
    Drizzle dressing over the salad and serve immediately.