Warm Spicy Greens with Bacon and Eggs

The salad for meat-eaters.

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

About 1/2 pound of the best slab bacon you can find or pancetta, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 small shallot, chopped

4 cups torn dandelion or other bitter greens, like mustard or turnip greens, watercress, or frisée

About 1/4 cup top-quality red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 Poached Eggs , or peeled Medium-Boiled Eggs

Put the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
When hot, add the bacon and cook slowly until it’s crisp all over, 10 minutes or more. Add the shallot and cook until softened, another minute or two. Keep the bacon warm in the skillet.
Warm a salad bowl by filling it with hot water and letting it sit for a minute. Dry it and toss in the greens.
Add the vinegar and mustard to the skillet and bring just to a boil, stirring. Pour the liquid and the bacon over the greens, toss, and season to taste (it shouldn’t need much salt). Top each portion with an egg and serve immediately.
- Substitute tender spinach leaves for the dandelion greens.
  - The French classic: Use frisée for the greens. Skip warming the salad bowl and boiling the vinaigrette in Step 2. Toss the greens in the vinaigrette and serve immediately.
- MAKES: 4 servings
- TIME: About 30 minutes