Frisee salad with bacon and poached egg

I’ll use pretty much any excuse these days to eat or cook something that contains one of the following:

1) Bacon

2) Runny egg, bonus points for poached


Include both of these in one foodstuff and I am powerless to resist. I first had this salad in a restaurant a few years ago and it’s been in the back of my mind, constantly, ever since. It was so delicious, yet seemed fairly simple. My first thought was, I need to find out how to make this at home—so I don’t have to go out to a restaurant, let alone pay $8 for it every time I want one!

The frisee salad is dressed with a red wine vinaigrette – which contains a small amount of bacon fat – and, of course, pieces of bacon. Poach an egg, being sure to take it out when the egg white is set but the yolk still runny. I’ve found it a bit tricky to get the timing just right, but am getting better with practice. The egg yolk in the picture is just a hair more set than I had meant, but still wonderful.

Make sure to use as high a quality egg as you can find, especially since this is a very simple salad. A factory-farmed, low-flavor egg will make your salad sad, which in turn will make your taste buds sad (and for me, will add a side helping of guilt to eating the dish.)

Mix the frisee with the vinaigrette and bacon pieces, put that on a plate, and top with the egg.

Break the egg yolk so that it runs over your salad and coats it with thick yellow deliciousness.

Pause for a moment to enjoy the anticipation. Salivate.

Eat!