30 minutes
A delightful salad combining crispy bacon, curly endive, and perfectly poached eggs with a tangy vinaigrette.
Curly Endive (Frisée), tender, bright green parts only
0 heads
Bacon Slices, cut into 0.33-inch pieces
each
teaspoons
tablespoons
tablespoons
to taste
to taste
Garlic Clove, crushed
each
tablespoons
Bacon Fat, reserved
tablespoons
cups
Red Wine Vinegar, for poaching water
tablespoons
Eggs, poached
each
1. Prepare Curly Endive
Remove and separate the leaves from the curly endive, ensuring you only use the tender, bright green parts.
2. Cook Bacon
Cut the bacon slices into 0.33-inch pieces. Heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a small heavy pan over medium heat, then cook the bacon pieces until they are brown but not crispy.
3. Make Vinaigrette
In a bowl, mix 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard, a pinch of salt, some fresh-ground black pepper, and a crushed garlic clove. Gradually whisk in 2.5 tablespoons of olive oil and 1.5 tablespoons of reserved bacon fat until smooth and emulsified.
4. Poach Eggs
Fill a heavy saucepan with 4 cups of water and add 1.5 tablespoons of red wine vinegar. Heat the water to a simmer, then carefully slide in the eggs one at a time. Poach the eggs for 3.5 to 4 minutes.
5. Warm Vinaigrette and Toss Salad
Warm the vinaigrette in the pan used to cook the bacon, then remove the garlic clove. Toss the cooked bacon pieces and the curly endive leaves in the warm vinaigrette.
6. Assemble Salad
Divide the dressed greens among four warm plates. Blot the poached eggs to remove any excess moisture, and place one egg on top of each salad. Grind some fresh black pepper over the eggs.
Use fresh, crisp curly endive and high-quality bacon. Opt for fresh, free-range eggs for firmer whites ideal for poaching.
Use the freshest eggs possible, add vinegar to simmering water, create a whirlpool before adding the egg, and keep water at a gentle simmer.
Make a well-emulsified vinaigrette with quality olive oil and sharp vinegar to complement the endive's bitterness and the egg's richness.
Toss endive in dressing before adding warm bacon and poached egg to ensure even coating and slight wilting of the endive.
Cook bacon over medium heat to render fat slowly for uniform crispiness. Drain on a paper towel to keep salad from getting soggy.
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