Eastern Salad with Goose Crackers

Ingredients

• 4 thyme sprigs
• 150 g flour
• 0.5 TL salt
• 1 egg yolk
• 70 g cold butter
• 200 g leafy greens (e.g., romaine lettuce)
• 1 bowl of watercress
• 4 radishes
• 2 EL lemon juice
• 6 EL extra‑virgin olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper (freshly ground)
• edible flowers (optional)
• 150 g cream cheese
• 1 Garlic clove
• hard‑boiled egg (optional)

Instructions

1. 1.

   Wash the thyme sprigs and pluck the leaves, finely chop. Mix flour with thyme and salt, mound on a work surface, create a well in the center, add the egg yolk, and place cold butter pieces around it. Using a large knife, chop until crumbs form, then quickly knead into a smooth dough by hand. Shape into a ball, wrap in foil, and chill for 45 minutes.

2. 2.

   Meanwhile wash and dry the salad leaves. Trim the watercress with scissors. Wash radishes and slice thinly.

3. 3.

   Whisk lemon juice with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

4. 4.

   Preheat oven to 200 °C (400 °F) fan‑forced.

5. 5.

   After chilling, roll dough out to 3 mm thickness on a lightly floured surface, cut 16 goose crackers, spacing them on parchment paper. Bake in the preheated oven on the middle rack for 8–12 minutes until golden.

6. 6.

   Remove with a spatula and cool on a wire rack.

7. 7.

   Arrange salad on plates, garnish with edible flowers if desired.

8. 8.

   Mix cream cheese with pressed garlic clove, season with salt and pepper. Brush cooled goose crackers with mixture, assemble pairs. Place on salad, serve dressing separately, optionally top with hard‑boiled eggs.