Black Pudding & Feta Salad with Maple Balsamic Dressing | Cathal McBride

1. Preheat the oven to 200ºC / 400F / Gas Mark 6.
2. Remove any packaging, leave the black pudding whole and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, crumble up with a wooden spoon and return to the oven for another 5 minutes. Set aside and keep warm.
3. Wash the potatoes in cold water. Place potatoes in a saucepan, cover in cold salted water, and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer for two minutes, drain potatoes and leave to cool.
4. In a shallow frying pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and add potatoes, seasoning with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Keep cooking on a high heat tossing them until they start to turn golden, place in the oven for 5 minutes or until potatoes are cooked. Set aside and keep warm.
5. Place the bacon in a cold pan (no oil) over a high heat. Continue cooking the bacon, tossing continuously until crispy. Place a sieve or colander over a large bowl and strain the bacon, reserving the fat in the bowl. Keep 1 teaspoon of this for the salad dressing if using.
6. To make the dressing, put all the ingredients into a small clean jar. Close the lid and shake vigorously until all the ingredients are blended together to form a smooth dressing.
7. In a large bowl, gently mix some mixed leaves with feta, apples, pancetta and 2-3 tablespoons of the maple balsamic dressing

To Serve:

Share the salad into serving bowls. Add some potatoes on top of salad and crumble the warm black pudding over it followed by a generous amount of the maple balsamic dressing. Enjoy with a chilled glass of white wine or some fizz!!