Lyonnaise Salad

Prep: 10 mins

Cook: 20 mins

Total: 30 mins

Serving: 1 serving

Lyonnaise salad, or salade Lyonnaise, is made of frisée lettuce, tender crispy bacon, and poached egg. The recipe includes a flavorful red wine and shallot vinaigrette and freshly toasted brioche croutons. It is a popular dish in French cuisine that originated in Lyon, France. Great any time of day, this traditional salad will add a certain je ne sais quoi to brunch, lunch, or dinner. 

Frisée is a crunchy, bitter lettuce that pairs nicely with salty bacon and rich egg yolk. For best results, look for frisée with a yellow to pale green center and use the freshest possible egg. Also, because pre-sliced bacon is rarely thick enough to produce proper lardons, buy a slab of bacon from the meat counter and slice the lardons yourself.

The Lyonnaise salad recipe is rather simple to pull together. While designed for a single serving, it is also easy to increase. Once you taste the perfect harmony of this tasty bacon and poached egg salad, you will definitely want to share it with family and friends.

Ingredients

• 1 small head frisée lettuce 

• 2 ounces brioche bread

• 4 ounces slab bacon

• 1 small shallot, diced

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

• Kosher salt (to taste)

• Freshly ground pepper (to taste)

• 1 egg

Steps to Make It

1. Gather the ingredients. Preheat the oven to 300 F.

2. Cut, wash, and dry the frisée lettuce.

3. Cut the brioche into cubes. Bake until browned and almost crispy, about 7 to 10 minutes. When toasted, set aside to cool.

4. Cut the bacon into large lardons, approximately 1/2-inch thick. In a sauté pan over medium heat, fry the lardons until they are golden and the fat has rendered substantially, about 7 to 9 minutes. Remove the lardons and all but 1 tablespoon of the rendered fat. Drain lardons on a paper towel and set aside.

5. Add the diced shallots to the pan with the remaining fat and sauté over low heat until softened, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat.

6. To a small jar or bottle with a lid, add the oil, vinegar, and mustard. Add the sautéed shallots. Close the jar and shake until emulsified, about 30 to 60 seconds. Add salt and pepper to taste.

7. Add 3 inches of water to a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Add a generous pinch of salt. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer.

8. Gently crack the egg into a small bowl or ramekin, taking care not to break the yolk. Stir the simmering water with a wooden spoon to create a little vortex, then gently tip the egg into the center. Poach the egg for 3 minutes.

9. While the egg is poaching, toss the frisée with the vinaigrette and lardons.

10. Plate with the dressed bacon and frisée on the bottom, followed by the brioche croutons.

11. Remove the egg with a slotted spoon. Allow the egg to drain for a moment in the spoon, then place it atop the salad. Finish with salt and fresh ground pepper. Serve immediately.

Tip

• The vinaigrette is often preferred slightly warm. If needed, gently heat it in a small saucepan.

Recipe Variations

• A French baguette (or similar crusty bread) is a good substitute for brioche.
• To make the salad gluten-free and low carb, leave off the croutons or substitute them for gluten-free bread.
• If you cannot find frisée lettuce, look for another bitter green. Arugula, curly endive, escarole, and radicchio are good choices.

What Is a Bacon Lardon?

In French cuisine, "lardon" is used to describe slab bacon cut into matchstick-like pieces. It's similar to cubed bacon but thinner—about 1/4- to 1/2-inch thick and 1-inch long—and retains the shape well as it cooks. If slab bacon proves difficult to find, look for thick-sliced bacon. To cut lardons from strips of bacon, stack the bacon and slice it into sticks.

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories	999
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 68g	87%
Saturated Fat 23g	113%
Cholesterol 371mg	124%
Sodium 2607mg	113%
Total Carbohydrate 43g	16%
Dietary Fiber 6g	21%
Total Sugars 11g
Protein 53g
Vitamin C 17mg	87%
Calcium 149mg	11%
Iron 5mg	29%
Potassium 1205mg	26%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.