Salads
Salade Lyonnaise (French Frisée Salad with Bacon and Poached Egg)
Salade lyonnaise is a classic French warm bistro salad of bitter frisée, crisp bacon lardons, and a poached egg, dressed with a warm mustard vinaigrette. The name means 'of Lyon,' the city in central France often called the country's gastronomic capital, which has given French cooking many classics — this salad among them. Unlike ordinary cold salads, the lyonnaise is served warm and at once: a warm vinaigrette, made right in the pan in the bacon fat, lightly wilts the bitter greens, and a poached egg with a runny yolk sits on top. When the yolk is broken and runs into the salad, it enriches the dressing and adds creaminess. The dish is a precise balance of bitter (frisée), salty (bacon), sour (vinegar, mustard), and rich (yolk, oil, bacon fat) — that is what makes a simple salad so satisfying and elegant. Technical keys: frisée holds the warm dressing without collapsing; thick-cut bacon or pancetta cut into lardons, the rendered fat saved for the vinaigrette; a warm mustard vinaigrette built in the pan; a poached egg with a runny yolk; wine or champagne vinegar; and serving it warm, straight away. A French bistro standard across the country, equally good for brunch, lunch, or a light supper.
