Mark Hix's salad of sprout tops

Method

1. Have the ham cooked and ready with the reserved liquor.
2. For the salsify, have two bowls of water ready, one with the lemon juice added and the other for washing. Top, tail and half the salsify, then peel with a vegetable peeler, dipping them in the bowl of water as you're going, to ensure all the black skin is removed. Then, as you've peeled each one, drop them into the bowl of water, with the lemon juice added to it, to stop them from browning.
3. For the dressing, put the shallots into a small pan with the cider vinegar and water and simmer until reduced by half, then remove from the heat and whisk in the mustard and oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste, set aside.
4. Add the salsify to a pan of well-salted water, bring to the boil and cook for 4-5 minutes until tender. Drain and leave to cool a little. Meanwhile, add the sprout tops to a pan of boiling salted water and cook for 3-4 minutes until tender, then drain.
5. Flake the ham into small pieces and reheat with a little of the cooking liquor, or pan-fry in a little oil until crisp if you prefer. Slice the salsify on the diagonal.
6. To serve, arrange the warm sprout tops and salsify on individual serving plates. Scatter the pieces of ham on top and spoon the dressing over.

Top tip: If you can't find leafy sprout tops, the outer leaves from large Brussels sprouts will do. This recipe is taken from British Seasonal Food by Mark Hix, available from Amazon.