Bacon and Frisée Salad with Poached Eggs

I learned how to make this simple frisée salad recipe, also known as salad Lyonnaise, when I was a trainee under Anne Willan, the founder of well-known culinary school La Varenne and authority on French cooking. It is a classic French salad, which may seem strange because it is actually served hot, but the oil actually just helps to make the tough leaves of frisée tender. Plus there’s bacon, that’s right, bacon!

The dressing for the salad is mainly composed of the bacon drippings combined with red wine vinegar, which makes for a flavorful salad perfect for cooler weather.

Bacon and Frisée Salad with Poached Eggs

Key Ingredients in This Recipe

• Eggs – The eggs are poached in this recipe so the gooey yolks become part of the dressing. 
• Frisée – Frisée is a curly tougher endive with a bitter flavor in season during winter through early spring. While many lettuces would wilt under a warm dressing, it helps to make the frisée more tender.
• Bacon – I like the smokiness the applewood smoked bacon adds, though it can easily be substituted with another type of bacon or even pancetta in this recipe. I recommend adding the bacon to a cold pan then cooking it over medium heat until crispy. Starting the pan cold allows the fat to render evenly and slowly. This recipe is traditionally made with lardons, pieces of slab bacon (thicker than packaged bacon) cut into matchsticks. Since it can be difficult to find I opt for thick-cut bacon.

How to Make This Bacon and Frisée Salad

1. Poach the eggs. Bring a pot of water to a bare simmer. Create a clockwise swirling motion with a ladle to create a whirlpool then carefully crack each egg individually into the pot, being careful to space them out. Cook until the whites are just set and the yolk is runny, about 3 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the eggs and set them aside on a plate.
2. Cook the bacon. Add the bacon to a medium sauté pan over medium heat, and cook, until the fat has rendered and the bacon is crispy, about 5 minutes.
3. Sauté shallots. If there is an excessive amount of oil left in the pan, pour some out, reserving about 3 tablespoons of it in the pan. Add the shallots to the hot oil and sauté until tender, about 3 minutes.
4. Toss frisée with fat. Add the frisée to a medium salad bowl and pour the hot fat and the crispy bacon over the salad. Toss to combine and continue to toss until the leaves are slightly wilted, about a minute.
5. Add vinegar. Return the pan used to cook the bacon to medium heat, and add the vinegar to the hot pan. Be careful as the mixture may sputter. Add the mustard, whisking to combine.
6. Add vinegar to salad. Bring the mixture to a boil and let the mixture reduce to about half. Pour the vinegar mixture over the salad and toss to combine.
7. Add poached eggs and serve. Season with freshly ground pepper and serve hot with poached eggs over the top. Garnish with chives. Serve immediately.

Other Recipes to Try

If you enjoy this recipe, I recommend checking out some of these:

• French Potato Salad with Poached Eggs
• Warm Bean and Chard Panzanella Salad
• Eggs en Cocotte
• Buckwheat Crêpes

Bacon and Frisée Salad with Poached Eggs

Print Pin

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Serves 4

US Customary – Metric

Ingredients:

• 4 large eggs
• 1 large head frisée, washed and torn into pieces
• ½ pound thick-cut Applewood smoked bacon, cut cross-wise into ½-inch strips
• 2 tablespoon diced shallots
• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• Freshly ground black pepper, as needed
• 1 tablespoon diced chives

Instructions:

• Bring a pot of water to a bare simmer. Create a clockwise swirling motion with a ladle to create a whirlpool then carefully crack each egg individually into the pot, being careful to space them out. Cook until the whites are just set and the yolk is runny, about 3 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the eggs and set them aside on a plate.
• Add the bacon to a medium sauté pan over medium heat, and cook, until the fat has rendered and the bacon is crispy, about 5 minutes.
• If there is an excessive amount of oil left in the pan, pour some out, reserving about 3 tablespoons of it in the pan. Add the shallots to the hot oil and sauté until tender, about 3 minutes.
• Add the frisée to a medium salad bowl and pour the hot fat and the crispy bacon over the salad. Toss to combine and continue to toss until the leaves are slightly wilted, about a minute.
• Return the pan used to cook the bacon to medium heat, and add the vinegar to the hot pan. Be careful as the mixture may sputter. Add the mustard, whisking to combine.
• Bring the mixture to a boil and let the mixture reduce to about half. Pour the vinegar mixture over the salad and toss to combine.
• Season with freshly ground pepper and serve hot with poached eggs over the top. Garnish with chives. Serve immediately.

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