Cauliflower salad with capers and anchovies

Serves 4

This a dish would make a great starter (Jason Lowe)

This is great as a dish in a selection of starters or just as a straight starter served with maybe a few leaves such as Treviso or radicchio. Try to avoid refrigerating this salad as the flavours will be much better at room temperature.

1 medium-sized head of cauliflower with the outer leaves removed
1 large onion, peeled, halved and finely chopped
150ml extra virgin olive oil
The juice of half a lemon
100ml good-quality white wine vinegar or cider vinegar
80g capers, drained and washed
10 anchovy fillets, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cut the cauliflower into florets, cutting any large ones in half. Bring a pan of salted water to the boil and cook the cauliflower for 8-10 minutes until tender but not over cooked, then drain in a colander.

Meanwhile, cook the onions in the oil on a low heat for 3-4 minutes without colouring, then remove from the heat and add the vinegar, the lemon juice, capers and anchovies. Mix with the cauliflower and season to taste. Leave at room temperature and give it a stir every so often and add more olive oil if necessary.