Lyonnaise Salad
It's fun to have a few really special salads in your repertoire that can serve as bistro-style luncheon fare or a dinner party starter. The French classic salade Lyonnaise is simple, elegant, and perfect. It's traditionally made with frisée, but we also love it with other gently bitter winter greens.
Calories: 315kcal
Ingredients
- 10 ounces (285 grams) thick center-cut bacon
- 1 medium shallot minced (about ½ cup)
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) champagne vinegar
- 1 teaspoon (5 grams) dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 10 ounces (285 grams) frisée, escarole, chicory, soft leaf lettuce, or a combination
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) distilled white vinegar
- 4 very fresh eggs
Instructions
- Chop the bacon into bite-sized pieces and place into a cold 10-inch frying pan.
- Place pan onto burner and set heat to medium.
- Cook, stirring from time to time, until lightly crisp.
- Remove bacon from pan and drain on paper towels, reserving two tablespoons of the rendered fat.
- While the bacon cooks, make the dressing in the bottom of a large mixing bowl. Whisk together the minced shallot, champagne vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper.
- Whisk in the olive oil and the two tablespoons of bacon fat.
- To poach the eggs, fill a wide sauté pan halfway with water. (A pan like this is ideal.) Add vinegar and bring water to a brisk simmer, then reduce heat so the water is virtually still.
- Crack each egg into a small bowl and tip carefully into the water, submerging the bowl a bit as you pour. I like to add the eggs in a clockwise circle starting near the handle so I remember in which order to remove them for even cooking.
- Cook undisturbed for four minutes, until whites are set and yolks are runny.
- Remove eggs from pan with a strainer spoon (something like this). Gently place eggs on a paper towel-lined plate and dab the tops to remove excess water. Cut away any scraggly whites if you like.
- Tear the greens into bite-sized pieces, add to mixing bowl, and toss to coat with dressing.
- Divide greens among four plates, top each with a poached egg, and sprinkle with some of the bacon. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Traditional Lyonnaise is made with lardons — thick batons cut from slab bacon. I usually just fake it 'til I make it, subbing in a nice thick, center-cut bacon. Either option works well.
- Frisée (sometimes called curly endive) is the traditional choice for salade Lyonnaise. When I can find it, I like to combine it with a soft leaf lettuce for a nice variety of textures and flavors. Other gently bitter winter greens, such as chicory and escarole, also make great choices for the greens in this salad.
- Shallot is one of my favorite alliums — it's so full of nuanced, delicate flavor. Mince it so its texture enhances the dressing rather than getting in the way.
- Champagne vinegar has a bright, nuanced flavor profile that works beautifully in the dressing. If you don't have it, regular white wine vinegar (not distilled vinegar) will work, too.
- You'll add a little bit of distilled white vinegar to the poaching liquid to help the egg whites firm up just enough.
- This recipe is quick and easy to put together, and it really shines when made right before serving. I don't recommend going out of your way to make it in advance. That said, if necessary, you can prep the elements in advance.
- You can cook the bacon, make the dressing, and even prep the greens up to a couple of days in advance and store in separate containers in the fridge. Reheat the bacon and the the dressing (since the fats will solidify in the fridge) when you're ready to use them.
- You may be surprised to learn that you can make poached eggs a day in advance, store them submerged in cold water in the fridge and simply reheat in a pan of barely simmering water for about a minute right before serving. Restaurants sometimes use this technique, and if you're cooking for a large crowd, it's a good one to keep in your back pocket. I don't typically use it for a recipe like this one.
- Toss and plate the salads right before serving.
- If you've used hearty greens, leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for a day or so.
Nutrition
Calories: 315kcal | Carbohydrates: 3.2g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 27.2g | Fiber: 1.3g