Description
A classic French salad that goes by many names, Friseé Salad with Lardons and Egg, Friseé Lardons Salad, Salade Lyonnaise or Lyonnaise Salad. A bistro menu staple that combines hot and cold for a light lunch or a cold summer meal, it’s everything you love about breakfast, in salad form!
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 – 6 ounce piece of salt pork
- 1 1/2 shallots, finely minced
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 3/4 cup light salad oil; Sunflower, Safflower, Cottonseed or Canola
- salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1 large head of Friseé lettuce
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 8 fresh eggs
- 1 demi-baguette, cut into diagonal slices
Instructions
- Start by first removing the thick skin from your salt pork, then place in a small pot, cover with cold water and bring to a low boil.
- Reduce heat and maintain a low simmer until a froth begins to form on the top. Gently remove the foam with a slotted spoon and rinse to remove the film in cold water. Continue to simmer and skim for about twenty minutes. Then salt pork from water, reserve to cool and discard water etc.
- While salt pork cools, make your vinaigrette: In a medium bowl add diced shallots, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper. Add about ¼ cup of your oil, and whisk lightly. Then continue whisking, while slowly drizzling the remaining oil into your base until creamy and well mixed.
- If you find it a bit thick add a little water, a teaspoon at a time, and whisk until you get the consistency you’re looking for. Pour into a glass jar or bottle, toss on the cap, and store in the fridge until needed.
- Now that salt pork is cool enough to handle, dry well with paper towel. Then slice in 1/4 inch slabs across the grain of the meat. Then cut slabs into even-sized 1/4 inch thick strips. Place a pan over medium-high heat, add a light slick of cooking oil once hot and add cut lardons. Stir/toss to cook evenly on all sides. Remove when crispy and reserve. Remove pan from heat, but hold to re-heat lardons as needed.
- Prepare your lettuce. Wash, spin, or dry and place in a bowl big enough to toss with a splash of vinaigrette.
- In a medium-sized, heavy-bottomed pot add enough water to easily cover eggs and your vinegar. Bring water to a low boil then reduce heat to a solid simmer.
- While water is heating, crack eggs into individual bowls, cups, or ramekins – one egg per bowl – and reserve.
- While water is heating, return lardons pan to medium heat, and lightly reheat lardons until sizzling.
- Once water is to a good simmer, grab a clean whisk and use it to create a spinning vortex in our hot water. Gently slip eggs in, one at a time. Don’t overcrowd, depending on the size of your pot, you may want to cook eggs in batches, chill in an ice water bath, and reheat to serve.
- Toast baguette slices.
- Toss lettuce with a small amount of dressing, just to coat. Arrange on waiting plates.
- Place scattered lardons on the bed of lettuce, toward the outside of the plate, dividing evenly between plates. Lightly drain eggs and place in the center of lettuce bed, up to two per plate. Finish with extra vinaigrette and toasted baguette. and serve… immediately.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 Minutes
- Category: Salads
- Method: Poaching
- Cuisine: French
Great salad. You can never go wrong with the classics! More lardons for me, please.