Frisée aux Lardons
(free-ZAY oh lahr-DOHN)
Chapter 1 — Apéro & Hors d'Œuvres
This carnivorous masterpiece proves a salad does not have to be polite. Born in the working-class bouchons of Lyon and perfected in places like Balthazar, the dish demands slab bacon rendered slowly in a hot cast-iron pan until the fat foams clear, at which point we build a violent, hot emulsion right in the pork fat, deglazing with a heavy hand of Champagne vinegar. Dress the bitter frisée while the pan is still smoking so the dressing wilts it into submission, and serve it crowned with a poached egg that bleeds its runny yolk into the sharp vinaigrette; this is exactly what a Tuesday lunch on Spring Street tastes like, provided you plate it before the fat goes cold.
Before you start
Prepare a gentle simmering water bath with distilled vinegar.
Bring 3 inches of water and the white vinegar to a bare simmer (190°F) in a medium saucepan, characterized by champagne-like bubbles rather than a violent rolling boil.
Par-poach the eggs using the vortex method.
Stir the simmering water vigorously to create a deep vortex, slide a cracked egg into the center, and poach for exactly 3 minutes until the white is firm but the yolk is completely fluid.
Shock the eggs in an ice bath to halt cooking.
Remove the egg with a slotted spoon and immediately plunge it into a bowl of ice water. Repeat with remaining eggs and hold them in the cold water until service.
Ingredients
- frisée1 large
- slab bacon8 oz
- eggs4 large
- white distilled vinegar1 tbsp
- rustic sourdough2 cup
- garlic1 large
- unsalted cultured French butter1 tbsp
- shallot1 large
- Sherry vinegar1/4 cup
- Dijon mustard1 tsp
- extra virgin olive oil3 tbsp
- mixed fresh herbs3 tbsp
- kosher salt1/4 tsp
- black pepper1/4 tsp
- flaky sea salt1/4 tsp
Method
- 01
Slowly render the lardons in a cold cast iron skillet.
Place the lardons in a cold 10-inch or 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium-low heat. Starting cold allows the intramuscular fat to slowly render out before the exterior sears. Cook, stirring occasionally, until deeply golden and crispy on the outside but still yielding on the inside, about 10 to 12 minutes.
- 02
Fry the torn bread directly in the reserved pork fat.
Remove the lardons with a slotted spoon, leaving the liquid fat in the pan. Increase the heat to medium, toss in the smashed garlic clove, and add the butter if needed. Fry the torn bread for 4 to 5 minutes until impossibly crunchy, then remove to the plate with the lardons and discard the garlic.
- 03
Build the hot vinaigrette base with shallots and Sherry vinegar.
In the remaining film of fat, sweat the minced shallots for 2 minutes. Stand back and pour in the Sherry vinegar, letting it violently boil and reduce by half until slightly syrupy and pungent.
- 04
Emulsify the warm dressing off the heat.
Remove the skillet entirely from the heat to prevent breaking the emulsion. Whisk in the Dijon mustard, then slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking constantly. Season aggressively with freshly ground black pepper.
- 05
Wilt the frisée with the hot dressing.
Place the hand-torn frisée in a large heat-proof bowl. Pour the hot vinaigrette directly over the greens, add the cooked lardons, croutons, and herbs, and toss vigorously with tongs to slightly wilt the frisée.
- 06
Re-therm the poached eggs and plate.
Drop your cold, par-poached eggs into a pot of simmering water for exactly 60 seconds to warm the yolk, then blot gently. Pile the dressed salad high in wide bowls, nestle a warm egg in the center of each, and finish with a pinch of flaky sea salt.
Notes
Do not substitute thin supermarket bacon.
You need the mechanical resistance and deep savor of thick slab bacon (poitrine de porc fumée). Thin bacon will simply steam, burn, and ruin the structural integrity of the salad.
Bistros do not poach eggs to order.
Par-poaching the eggs and holding them in an ice bath (even overnight) is a classic restaurant trick that ensures a stress-free assembly when you are simultaneously managing hot bacon fat.