Not-So-Guilt-Free Greens
I created this bacon-and-egg salad when I was a chef at a French bistro in Minneapolis in the early ’90s. Within a week or two it was a massively popular lunch special and our best seller at brunch. It’s hard to beat the contrasting combination of salty and sweet, hot and cold, soft and crunchy.
One-Eyed Salad with Greens & Brown Sugar-Bacon Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 4 bacon slices, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup minced onion
- 3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons brown mustard, such as Gulden’s
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
- 4 large eggs
- Salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- 1/4 pound watercress, thick stems discarded (3 cups)
- 2 ounces mixed baby greens (2 cups)
- 2 ounces tender frisée, torn into bite-size pieces (1 cup)
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped chives
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped tarragon
Instructions
Total Time: 45 min
Servings: 4
In a medium skillet, cook the bacon over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until most of the fat is rendered, about 7 minutes. Spoon off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the sherry vinegar, sugar and mustard, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Remove from the heat and whisk in the olive oil. Keep warm over very low heat.
Fill a large, deep skillet two-thirds full with water. Add the distilled vinegar and bring to a bare simmer. Break each egg into a small bowl and slide one at a time into the water. Poach the eggs until the whites are set but the yolks are still soft, about 4 minutes. Remove the eggs with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Season with salt and pepper.
In a large bowl, toss the watercress with the baby greens and frisée. Add the warm dressing and toss to coat. Transfer the salad to bowls and top with the eggs. Garnish with the chopped herbs and serve right away.
Originally published in Andrew Zimmern’s Kitchen Adventures on foodandwine.com.
Photograph by Stephanie Meyer.
