I really like using watercress as a side dish: it’s refreshing, powerfully peppery and robust enough to suit both hot and cold food. Generally it’s fine just picked and served plain to take on the juices of whatever you’re eating it with, but sometimes you need a little extra, and the pickled walnuts and mustard in this dressing do exactly that.
This is brilliant alongside beef (particularly roast joints or well-aged steaks), cooked ham and game birds. Make sure you buy good watercress, though. Just like rocket, you get what you pay for.
Ingredients
- 250 g g watercress
- 3 pickled walnuts
- 2 teaspoons juice from the pickled walnut jar
- 1 heaped tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- Sea salt
How to Make It
- Pick the watercress stems at the point where the last leaf on each branch meets the stem, then cut any leafless stems into 4–5 cm lengths. Mix the leaves and stems together in a bowl. Roughly chop the pickled walnuts and add them to the watercress.
- Put the remaining ingredients into a small bowl and whisk until emulsified. When ready to eat, dress the watercress and mix thoroughly to ensure all the leaves and stems are well glossed. I tend to get my hands dirty with this one.
