Frisee Salad with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette
Instructions:
If you don’t find frisee in your grocery store, this salad works well with curly endive, frisée’s less delicate cousin (also called chicory). Trim away the outer leaves and use only the pale center leaves for the salad. 2 tablespoons olive oil 1â„4 teaspoon salt 4 ounces country-style bread or French bread, cut into 1â„2-inch cubes 4 slices thick-sliced bacon, cut into 1â„2-inch pieces 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1â„8 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper 1 pound frisée, ends trimmed 6 large eggs, poached (optional)
Makes 6 first-course servings. Prep: 20 minutes Bake: 10 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 400°F. In large serving bowl, combine oil and salt. Add bread cubes to oil mixture and toss to coat. Transfer bread to jelly-roll pan and bake, stirring once, until golden brown and crisp, about 10 minutes. Cool in pan on wire rack.
- Meanwhile, in 2-quart saucepan, cook bacon over medium heat, stirring frequently, until browned, about 8 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat. With slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. Discard all but 3 tablespoons bacon drippings from saucepan.
- With wire whisk, mix vinegar, mustard, pepper, and 2 tablespoons water into bacon drippings in saucepan.
- To serve, in same serving bowl, tear frisée into bite-size pieces. Toss frisée with warm bacon vinaigrette until coated. Arrange frisée on 6 dinner plates. Top each with croutons, bacon, and a poached egg, if you like.