“It is this honesty, this taste of the measure, I like to find in an honest and healthy Lyonnaise dish”. -Paul Bocuse

Salade Lyonnaise is clearly one of those dishes. This classic salad showcases the use of the regions fresh local ingredients to create a dish greater than the sum of its parts. The very definition of farm-to-table. Crisp frisee greens, salty-chewy bacon, crunchy garlic croutons, and creamy fresh eggs, are all offset by the tart taste of vinegar. This dish is one of many great examples of the magnificence of the cuisine of Lyon.

Salade Lyonnaise - French Salad of Frisee Lettuce, Bacon, Croutons and Egg

Salade Lyonnaise – Salad of Frisee Lettuce, Bacon, Croutons and Egg

This salad is a wonderful combination of salty, bitter, tangy, and smoky flavors. The warm poached egg coats the salad to create a creamy contrast to the other ingredients.

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin

Course: Brunch, Lunch, Salad

Cuisine: East-Central France, French

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 15

Total Time: 30

Servings:

Author: My Hungry Traveler

Equipment

Skillet with high sides
Container or jar with lid

Ingredients

8 oz Frisee (2 heads) or bagged Mescal (mixed greens)
2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
2 Shallots, minced (Sub: minced red or sweet onion)
8 oz Slab or thick-sliced smoked bacon
4 large Eggs
1½ cups Sourdough croutons, large store bought
1½ tbsp Combination of minced parsley, chives, tarragon
2 tbsp Distilled white vinegar
¼ cup Sherry wine vinegar
1 tbsp Dijon mustard

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Cut bacon into lardons (¼ inch crosswise slices). Heat sauté pan over medium heat, Add bacon and cook until evenly browned on all sides, 5-6 minutes.
Remove all but 2 tbsp bacon fat. Add shallots to bacon and cook about 2 minutes until translucent but not browned. Transfer lardons and shallots to a bowl with a slotted spoon. Wipe out skillet with paper towels.
Make vinaigrette by combining vinegar and mustard together in a sealed container and a pinch of salt. Gradually pour in the olive oil. Seal and shake to incorporate. Season with salt and pepper. Shake again right before using.
To poach eggs, fill a deep skillet with water about 1 inch deep. Add white vinegar and bring to a boil and then lower heat to get a gentle simmer. Break each egg into a clean cup and carefully slide 1 egg into simmering water and cook until whites are set, 3-4 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon and blot them with a paper towel and use or refrigerate them in a bowl of cold water until needed. When ready to use out of the refrigerator, reheat in simmering water for about 30 seconds, blot dry, and use.
If using Frisee, separate leaves, rinse in clean water and dry with paper towels. Put salad greens in a bowl and mix in ½ cup vinaigrette. Divide equally between serving bowls.
Heat 1 tbsp of vinaigrette in the sauté pan over medium heat. Add bacon shallot mixture and warm, about 1 minute. Top greens in each serving bowl with warmed bacon mixture, croutons, a poached egg in the middle and a sprinkling of herb mixture, salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Notes

Eggs, bacon shallot mixture can all be made in advance, warmed just before assembling salad and serving.
Don’t worry if egg whites spread out too far. Gather them in towards the yolk when egg is slipped into the water. You can also clip-off any ugly or rubbery ends.
They key to the poached eggs is to get the yolks as runny as possible and having the whites set and not runny.
The fresher the eggs, the easier to poach.
A slab of bacon is best for making lardons. A whole piece of Pancetta or pre-sliced into 1/4 inch slices makes a good substitute.