When Worlds Collide

This afternoon, we gave my little boy a new set of Legos to play with--it's a small set that comes together to make a castle with a drawbridge, a horse, and a knight. It's super cute, and my favorite detail is the ivy you can attach to the wall for that special Lego verisimilitude flair. Needless to say, the new Legos were a hit, as all Legos are in our house.

Once I got him firmly engrossed with his castle, I set about to make a late lunch/early dinner. My husband's birthday was last week, and I wanted to make his favorite meal for him that day, but I couldn't find the key ingredient at Whole Foods (?!), and so it had to wait until today. It may sound weird, but his favorite meal is Salade Lyonnaise (aka Frisée salad in our house). To the uninitiated, that might seem a little ponce-y for a dude's favorite food, but don't be fooled. Frisée Salade is to Ordinary Salad as Beer is to Wheatgrass Juice (see the recipe below).

I was working away when the kiddo wandered into the kitchen. He asked about the funny, frilly frisée in the bowl and watched as the bacon fried away. Then he tottered back into the living room to return to the pressing Lego business that waited for him there.

"Daddy!" he cried. "The castle has frisée on it!" Oh no he didn't!

Compare for yourself:

Frisée Salad

Frisée Castle

What's more, the little booger actually ate the salad. So it's a good afternoon all around.

Before you make this salad, I wish to disclaim any liability for the damage done to your arteries by its consumption. And I recommend a red wine chaser, just to be sure.

Salade Lyonnaise
serves 2.5 (the .5 is for the adventurous toddler)

3 heads baby frisée (also called curly endive), dark green leaves removed
1/4 cup wine vinegar (red or white is ok) + 1 T vinegar
1 T chopped shallots
1 t dijon mustard
1/4 lb slab bacon, cut into 1/2" cubes
2 slices white sandwich bread, cut into small triangles
2 large eggs
salt and pepper to taste

1. Rinse and spin or pat dry the frisée. Set aside in a large bowl.
2. Combine the 1/4 cup vinegar, shallots, and mustard in a small bowl or measuring cup.
3. Over medium-low heat, render the bacon in a large sauté pan. Depending on the fat ratio of your bacon this can take anywhere from about 7-15 minutes.
4. While the bacon is cooking, bring a saucepan of water to a simmer with the 1 T vinegar and salt to taste. Poach your eggs, and remove to an ice water bath when they are done to your liking (the perfection of this dish relies, in my opinion on runny yolks, but you can take that or leave it).
5. When the bacon is browned and crispy, remove it with a slotted spoon to the bowl with the frisée.
6. Pour about 1/3 cup of the rendered bacon fat into the vinegar mixture and stir (careful--this will sizzle a little bit). Add salt to taste.
7. Raise the heat in the skillet to medium and fry the bread in the remaining bacon grease. Remove and set on paper towels to drain.
8. With the water returned to a low simmer, return your eggs to the poaching water just until warmed through.
9. Pour the warm dressing over the frisée, and divide between two bowls.
10. Remove the eggs from the water and set atop the salad, with the toasts all around. Sprinkle the egg with a bit of salt and pepper, and serve.

Thanks to my future brother-in-law, John, for sacrificing his gorgeous slab bacon after it went uneaten at New Year's. I used it wisely, brother!

Comments

[Karen]

Is that Lego ivy new? I don't remember that from when I was a kid. Also, I must say, you have inspired me cooking-wise, since I have tried putting poached eggs on top of pasta after reading one of your food posts~yum! Why did I not know about this before?!