Salad Lyonaise

Salad Lyonaise, originally uploaded by Kyle Strickland.

 

Salad Lyonaise is a classic French salad with poached egg, and a dijon, red wine vinegar, bacon dressing.  You can find it on the menu of just about any French restaurant here in the states.  Thomas Keller’s Bouchon offers it at their three locations in Yountville, Vegas, and Beverly Hills.  Although he calls his Frisée aux Lardons et Oeuf Poché.  Keller disciple Matt Carter adds spinach to his version at the Zinc Bistro here in Phoenix.  I recently read about James Beard’s Rising Star Chef Sue Zemanick’s version in Southwest’s Spirit Magazine this past month – and figured I have to try this in the home test kitchen.  It’s basically eggs and bacon with some green stuff – what could be better?  The poached egg’s runny yolk is perfect when mixed with the bacon vinaigrette dressing.

I used rocket instead of the classic frisee and I added marcona almonds.  Poach an egg in simmering water with a dash a distilled vinegar for a minute and a half – set aside in a bowl of warm water.  Now crisp up 2 to 3 slices of chopped bacon – remove bacon, leave its oil.  Then saute a fine chopped shallot in the rendered bacon fat, add a spoonful of Dijon, a couple glugs of white wine vinegar, your set aside bacon, mix.  Now toss your bacon dressing in with your greens and marcona almonds.  Serve with the poached egg on top.  As you are eating break open the yolk and gently mix with the dressing in the rest of the salad.