Salad Lyonnaise

Salad Lyonnaise sounds fancy doesn’t it? And it sounds decadent with poached eggs and a warm bacon dressing. But really it’s a contradiction: fancy looking, but prepared in less than 30 minutes; rich tasting, but a fairly light meal.

I bought first crop Honeycrisp apples the other day and maybe I should be craving hearty stews and roasted chicken, but the weather isn’t cooperating. It’s September, but temperatures still climb to the 80s and even low 90s some days. So, for now, I’m still craving salad.

Many famous dishes began in the French city of Lyon: Coq au vin, Lyonnaise potatoes, Sauce Lyonnaise, and, of course Salad (Salade) Lyonnaise. It’s a salad that we sought out on our last visit to France and one that we often make at home.

The main components of Salad Lyonnaise are Frisée lettuce, with it’s frilly leaves and delicately bitter flavor; a warm bacon dressing, with the bacon cut into thin, crosswise strips called lardons; and perfectly poached eggs. The bacon dressing is simple to make and when I can’t find Frisée in the grocery store, I swap in curly endive. It has a firmer bite, but stands in nicely. It’s poaching the eggs that can be a challenge, but there are a couple of tricks to make it easier.

How to Poach an Egg

There are a lot of strong opinions about the best method for poaching eggs; here are a couple of steps that work well for me: drain the thin liquid from the white before poaching and create a vortex in the simmering water before adding the egg(s).

• Creating a vortex in the simmering water is simply stirring the simmering water just before you slip in the egg(s).
• To drain off the thin white, you’ll need a couple of small bowls and a large, finely slotted spoon or a fine mesh strainer. Set the slotted spoon or mesh strainer over one bowl and carefully crack the egg into it, the liquid will drain out leaving the thicker white intact. Then slip the drained egg into the second bowl.

To poach, slide eggs into 2 inches of simmering water that you’ve stirred into a vortex. After 15 or 20 seconds, gently rotate eggs to help them take shape (I like to gently flip them over a couple of times after about 2 minutes, ending with the yolk facing up). Simmer for a total of 4 minutes, until the white is set and yolk is soft (longer if you prefer a jammy yolk). Lift the eggs out with a slotted spoon and transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel to soak up any water.

One other note is about vinegar. Many poached egg recipes suggest adding it to help keep the eggs together, but I can always taste it. So my 2-cents is to skip it.

How to Reheat Poached Eggs

You can serve poached eggs immediately or make them up to 5 days ahead! (Make ahead brunch anyone?) To poach eggs ahead of time: transfer poached eggs immediately to a lidded container filled with very cold water and refrigerate. When you’re ready to serve, transfer the eggs with a slotted spoon to a bowl of very hot tap water and let stand 2 minutes. Drain, blot dry with a paper towel and serve!

Other Must Try French Recipes

• Lyonnaise Potatoes
• French Onion Soup or Vegetarian French Onion Soup
• Coq au Vin Blanc
• Nicoise Salad
• Savory Crepes
• Baked Eggs
• Chouquettes (French Pastry Sugar Puffs)
• Brioche Dinner Rolls
• Duck Leg Confit
• Jambon-Beurre Sandwich
• French 75 Cocktail

How to Make Salad Lyonnaise

Step 1: Make dressing: Cut bacon slices into 1/4-inch wide strips crosswise. Cook until crisp in olive oil. Add shallot and cook until softened, then mustard and vinegar. Stir to combine and remove from heat.

Step 2: Poach eggs and transfer to paper towel.

Step 3: Reheat dressing if necessary and pour over frisee lettuce in a large salad bowl. Toss to coat completely. Divide salad among 4 serving plates and top each with a poached egg; serve.