Burdock Salad

Photo: flickr user british.chris

Ingredients

1 burdock root (gobo)

Vinegar as needed

pound sliced bacon

Salad oil as needed

bn young spinach (horenso) leaves

2 lettuce leaves

1 celery stalk

4 radishes

1 egg yolk

1 tablespoon wine vinegar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

cup salad oil

Salt to taste

Freshly-ground black pepper to taste

Preparation

Wash burdock and scrape off thin brown skin with back of knife. Cut into 1 1/2-inch matchstick-size pieces, placing them to soak in water-vinegar solution as you cut, to prevent discoloration. Boil for a few minutes in water containing vinegar and drain in colander.

Cut bacon into 1-inch pieces. Heat salad oil in frying pan, add bacon and fry until crisp. Drain on paper towels.

Wash spinach and tear some into bite-size pieces (remaining whole leaves will be arranged on serving plate). Tear lettuce into same size as spinach.

Cut celery into 1 1/2-inch matchstick-size pieces, about the same size as burdock. Cut radishes in a decorative way (for example, like a flower).

Mix ingredients for mayonnaise dressing in bowl, add burdock, bacon, spinach, lettuce and celery and toss together.

Arrange whole spinach leaves on serving plate, place tossed ingredients atop them and decorate with radishes.

This recipe yields 4 servings.