poached egg and bacon salad

Today's post is dedicated to Mrs. I.L.C., who I have heard from her new(ish) husband went somewhere and LOVED the fancier iteration of it. I'm just sort of making do, as I always do, but here is Mark Bittman's recipe as a launching pad. I'll write the lazy (cheaper) modifications in, but I generally love Mark Bittman.

I was discussing my blog this morning and I realized what I want the purpose to be... to fight the anal-ness of most home cooks. Seriously, most recipes can be modified to fit what you have on hand... besides the obvious key ingredients. And unless you're baking, measuring is a giant waste of time and it'll make dinner take longer.

Salade Lyonnaise


Ingredients (oooh fancy vinegar! But sidenote - I LOVE trader joe's dijon... it's spicy and cheap!)

4 cups per person torn frisée or other strong-tasting greens, washed and dried (I bought a package of "European Greens," which is a funny way of saying "we added arugula to a baby green mix")

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1-2 slices of bacon per person

1 tablespoon chopped onion

2-4 tablespoons of vinegar (I used red wine cause that's what I've got)

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Salt

4 eggs

Black pepper.

1. Start heating up a pot of water w/ a splash of vinegar (not too much) and a big pinch of salt.

note: I used a little pot at first, as I am likely to do, which works fine but you end up with less beautiful eggs because the eggs don't have a chance to sink and sort of make it's shape. So since I am such an active, helpful blogger (and since no one was awake when I started this), I did what I never do: used a big pot and cooked eggs for a SECOND time. Do whatever makes most sense for you - both work fine.


2. Heat up a pan and start cooking the bacon till it's crisp ish - OR just put it in the microwave on a paper towel, with another on top, cooking 2 minutes at a time till it's crispy. OR, if you're in a rush, chop up the bacon and do it on the stovetop. We all know how to make bacon, right?


3. Dressing: Put the onions in a bowl with the vinegar and a pinch of salt. In about 5-10 minutes, it doesn't really matter, add the Dijon and then whisk in the olive oil, a little at a time, till it's emulsified. (Another big word - basically it should look homogenous. =P). Crack a little pepper and TASTE it. Add salt as needed to be delicious.

3. Poach the eggs: When the water is simmering... meaning lots of bubbles, but not big ones. Put the first egg into a little bowl or ramekin to make it easier to slide in. In school, they had us make a sort of whirlpool by spinning the water with a spoon and then dropping the egg gently into center, which works well. You can always just slide it in without, but we're talkin' pretty. Let it cook for 3-5 minutes, pull it out with a slotted spoon and feel it with your finger. You can tell when it's the right consistency. LAY IT ON A PAPER TOWEL - it needs to be dry before you serve it, please.


4. Plate: Toss a handful of the greens with a little dressing with your hands. That's really the best way to coat them fully. Don't over-dress - soggy greens are gross. Plate it up and top with a poached egg, some bacon, and sprinkle the top of the egg with the tiniest bit of salt and a little crack of pepper. Above is how I'd actually serve it, with the bacon chopped up, but up at the top of this blog is how to show off your pretty poached egg and bacon.

Let me know if you have any questions =D