Hard-boil the eggs for the salad and the dressing (four in total). Bring a small saucepan of water to the boil, gently slide in the eggs and boil for 10 minutes (12 if they are very fresh). Strain off the hot water and cover with cold water. Peel when cold.

Wash and dry the lettuce, scallions and watercress.

Next make the cream dressing. Cut two of the eggs in half and sieve the yolks into a bowl. Add the sugar, a pinch of salt and the mustard. Blend in the vinegar and cream.

Chop the egg whites and add some to the sauce. Keep the rest to scatter over the salad.

Cover the dressing until needed.

To assemble the salads, first arrange a few lettuce leaves on each of four plates. Scatter with a few tomato quarters and two hard-boiled egg quarters, a few slices of cucumber and a radish on each plate, and (preferably just before serving) add a slice of beetroot to each. Garnish with scallions and watercress.

Scatter the remaining egg white (from the dressing) and some chopped parsley over the salad.

Put a tiny bowl of cream dressing in the centre of each plate and serve immediately, while the salad is crisp and before the beetroot starts to run.

Alternatively, serve the dressing from one large bowl.

Dissolve the sugar in water, bringing it to the boil.

Add the sliced onion and simmer for 3-4 minutes.

Add the vinegar, pour over the peeled sliced (diced or cut into wedges) beet and leave to cool.

Beetroot: Leave 5cm (2 inch) of leaf stalks on top and the whole root on the beet.

Hold it under a running tap and wash off the mud with the palms of your hands, so that you don't damage the skin; otherwise the beetroot will bleed during cooking.

Cover with cold water and add a little salt and sugar.

Cover the pot, bring to the boil and simmer on top, or in an oven, for 15-20 minutes (in May/June when they are young) depending on size (they can take 1-2 hours in late Autumn and Winter when they are tough).

Beetroot is usually cooked if the skin rubs off easily and if they dent when pressed with a finger.

If in doubt, test with a skewer or the tip of a knife.