Jersey Royal, lovage emulsion, walnut and caperberry salad by David Crichton

This recipe was created by the chef David Crichton, Masterchef Runner-Up 2018.

Ingredients
200g mix of lovage/parsley/tarragon leaves only
300g vegetable oil
1 clove garlic
1 egg yolk
½ tsp mustard
500g Jersey Royals
125g walnuts
200g caperberries
1 egg
A few handfuls of flour
100g panko breadcrumbs
250g sugar
250ml water
500ml oil for frying

Method
1. Begin by making a herb oil. Blanch the herbs for 30 seconds and refresh in iced water. Squeeze the excess out and dry as much as possible. Blend with 200ml of oil until it is all the same colour. Place a piece of kitchen towel in a sieve and place the oil/herb mix in it to drain.

2. Once the oil has fully drained you can make the emulsion. Add the crushed garlic and mustard to the egg yolk. Slowly drizzle in the oil bit by bit while you constantly whisk. Depending on taste you can add more oil, but check seasoning and add a tiny bit of lemon juice to taste.

3. The potatoes are the most important thing. Either cut them in half, and sous vide with a knob of butter for 45mins at 90c, or cover with just enough water, add a good knob of butter and some sea salt. Heat the water until it’s just simmering and cook for a good 30 minutes, turning the potatoes over and letting the liquid reduce.

4. For the candied walnuts, bring the walnuts, sugar and water to boil. Cook for a couple of minutes. Remove and place on non-stick paper. Leave them to cool and go sticky.

5. Once the potatoes are nearly cooked, coat the caperberries in flour, egg and breadcrumbs. Bring the oil to 160c or use a deep fat fryer. Fry the caperberries until golden and the walnuts until they form a clear crust (30 seconds).

6. To plate, arrange the potatoes, walnuts and caperberries, then pipe dollops of the emulsion over. Sprinkle with some leftover herb cuttings.

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