I love a fresh "frisée aux lardons", but in the US lardons are really hard to find, so I substitute them with bacon strips (alternatively, you can use pancetta). I have actually grown quite fond of turkey bacon, which I find to be leaner and also crispier than regular bacon. I am not sure if French people will recognize this salad as a typical one, but I can assure you that it tastes pretty good. Instead of poaching eggs, which can be tricky and stressful, I boil the eggs just a minute longer than soft boiled ones, and the result is also quite good. I like to add small potatoes (such as fingerling or those little red ones that I find at Citarella), to make the salad a full meal. You may also want to add some crumbled blue cheese or toasted nuts.
Ingredients (serves 4):
1 frisée salad, washed and dried
Turkey bacon, cut in thin strips
1 cup small potatoes
4 large eggs
For the mustard vinaigrette
1 tsp mustard (Maille is a must)
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp water
Salt and pepper to taste
Put the bacon strips in a frying pan and cook on medium/high heat, until the bacon is cooked and crispy. In a saucepan, put the potatoes, cover with water and add salt. Bring to a boil and cook for about 20 minutes, until fully cooked but still firm. In a small saucepan, boil some water, add the eggs and cook for 4 1/2 minutes, drain the water and cover with cold water to stop the cooking process. Remove the shells.
To make the vinaigrette, put the mustard in a small mixing bowl, season with salt and pepper. Start slowly adding the olive oil and mix well with a spoon in order to emulsify the sauce, like a mayonnaise. When all olive oil has been incorporated, add the wine vinegar and water and mix well. The water makes the vinaigrette lighter and more liquid. Taste and adjust seasoning. If you have too much vinaigrette, you can store it in the fridge for a few days in a sealed container.
Place the frisée on each plate (if the leaves are too large, tear into smaller pieces with your hands). Add the warm potatoes, bacon, and top with the egg cut in half. Drizzle with vinaigrette.
