I am a fan of Epiphany. It’s the time to make Galette des Rois and have a last flurry of celebration before Christmas is truly over and all the decorations come down. Brussels sprouts are long lasting and a pack in the fridge not used on Christmas Day has been central to a most delicious salad.

The anchovies, mustard or garlic could be omitted. The salad will still taste good but it would be a shame as it needs strong flavours.

Oven at 180°C

200g Brussels sprouts, outer leaves removed
Sourdough bread
½ crisp lettuce, finely sliced.
Olive oil
4 skinless chicken fillets (about 250g)

For the mayonnaise dressing:

2 egg yolks
1-2 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 tsp Dijon mustard
Juice of 2 lemons
200ml olive oil
¼ tsp chilli powder
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

10 anchovy fillets in oil, drained and finely chopped
40g Parmesan cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cut three thick slices of bread and place them in a baking tray. Add about two tablespoons of olive oil and toss the bread around until coated. Season. Place in the oven and bake for about 10 minutes until crisp and golden. Leave on kitchen paper to cool. Tear into pieces.

Coat the chicken fillets in a little oil and place in a frying pan on a medium heat. Fry for about five minutes on each side and then check by cutting into the centre of the fillets to make sure they are cooked through and not pink. Leave to cool.

Finely slice the Brussels sprouts and place in a bowl with a pinch of salt and a little olive oil. Toss with your fingers for about a minute and put to one side. Do not skip this step. In France, the process is known as ‘fatiguer la salade’ and is the best way to make winter salad leaves tender.

To make the mayonnaise, put the egg yolks in a bowl with the mustard and some black pepper. Whisk until combined. Add a few drops of olive oil and whisk again. Continue adding olive oil, a few drops at a time, and whisking until half of the oil has been used. The remainder of the oil can now be added more liberally, but always continuing to whisk between additions. It will form a thick emulsion which can be thinned by adding enough of the lemon juice. Add the chilli powder, crushed garlic and taste.

Finely chop the anchovies. Make shavings from the Parmesan cheese.

Assemble the salad in a large bowl. Break the chicken into bite size pieces and mix with some of the dressing. Add the anchovies and mix again. Add the lettuce, Brussels sprouts and the torn bread. Give a final mix and taste. Extra pepper might be needed or more dressing. Any left over dressing can be put in a bowl, covered and put in the fridge. It will keep for at least a day and, as it is well seasoned, would be excellent mayonnaise for making devilled eggs.

Serve with shavings of Parmesan cheese scattered on top.