Skip to content

Friseé Salad with Lardons and Egg

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 elements for a light lunch or a cold summer meal, it’s everything you love about breakfast, in salad form. 

Just add a dash of Edith Piaf and a nice piece of toasted baguette.

A Lettuce by Any Other Name

Frisée (free-ZAY) also known as curly endive, has been notoriously hard to find during the pandemic. It’s like we’re not allowed to have fancy lettuces anymore. We must be content with everyday lettuces and salad mixes. Fine. I’ll make do.

Escarole Lettuce, Salt Pork, Dijon Mustard, Shallots & Eggs, Food Gypsy

Thanks to lettuce issues, today we’re using Escarole (es-KAR-ole) lettuce, which is of the same Chicory lettuce family, but not quite as bitter with thicker leaves and a firmer bite. Still calling it Friseé Salad with Lardons and Egg because technically, still Frisee, but I miss my fancy French lettuces!

Friseé Salad with Lardons, Poached Egg, Food Gypsy

Notes on Lardons

Lardons are chunky cuts of salt pork that are first poached to remove salt and impurities, then fried crisp. They’re completely delicious, what they’re not –  is bacon.

Salt pork is a salt-cured chunk of pork belly. Bacon is a smoke-cured chunk of pork belly. Two different types of pork.

Can you substitute thick-cut bacon strips for lardons? Well, we’ve had to settle for Escarole here folks, so sure, you can substitute bacon. So long as we understand the difference, the spirit of the dish remains intact.

@thefoodgypsy

Friseé Salad with Lardons & Egg. #learntocook #eggsbacon #salad #basiccooking #frenchcooking #glutenfree

♬ La vie en rose – Zaz

DIY French Bistro

No matter what tiny modifications you make along the way Friseé Salad with Lardons and Egg is a terrific salad. That creamy warm egg combined with a tangy vinaigrette, bitter lettuce, and salty lardons goodness. YUM!

If poached eggs are your nemesis, we can fix that!  Check out the back-to-basics How to Poach Eggs Perfectly Every Time post for everything you ever needed to know on easy, perfect poached eggs, every single time.

We shan’t pout too much over substations, because it’s spring and soon our lettuce supply chain will be back on track and we’ll all have a big bowl of salad! And wine. Lots of wine.

Eat well, my friend!

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
Friseé Salad with Lardons, Poached Egg, Food Gypsy

Friseé Salad with Lardons and Egg


5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

  • Author: Cori Horton
  • Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
  • Yield: Serves 4

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
  • 16 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

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. Prepare your lettuce. Wash, spin, or dry and place in a bowl big enough to toss with a splash of vinaigrette.
  7. 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.
  8. While water is heating, crack eggs into individual bowls, cups, or ramekins – one egg per bowl – and reserve.
  9. While water is heating, return lardons pan to medium heat, and lightly reheat lardons until sizzling.
  10. 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.
  11. Toast baguette slices.
  12. Toss lettuce with a small amount of dressing, just to coat.  Arrange on waiting plates.
  13. 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

Cori Horton

Cooking in her home kitchen just outside Ottawa, Canada; Cori Horton is a food photographer and recipe blogger. A Cordon Bleu-trained Chef, Cori spent five years as the owner of Nova Scotia's Dragonfly Inn and has been sharing all things delicious - right here - since 2010.

This Post Has One Comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

Back To Top