Equipment
Ingredients
Salad Base
- 150 g dandelion greens, washed, tough lower stems removed, torn into bite-sized pieces
- 120 g thick-cut bacon, diced into lardons
- 2 large eggs, cold, preferably farm-fresh
Warm Vinaigrette
- 1 shallot, finely minced
- 20 ml sherry vinegar
- 10 g dijon mustard
- 15 ml white vinegar
- black pepper, freshly cracked
- kosher salt
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 360 kcal
- Protein
- 17 g
- Carbohydrates
- 12 g
- Fat
- 28 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
- Sugar
- 2 g
- Sodium
- 835 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 9 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 11 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 5 g
- Cholesterol
- 226 mg
- Potassium
- 534 mg
- Calcium
- 183 mg
- Iron
- 4.8 mg
- Magnesium
- 44 mg
- Phosphorus
- 255 mg
- Zinc
- 1.7 mg
- Vitamin A
- 468 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 27 mg
- Vitamin D
- 1.2 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 3.4 mg
- Vitamin K
- 585 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.5 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.8 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.34 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.48 mg
- Niacin
- 3.1 mg
- Folate
- 47 mcg
- Water
- 138 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Place the diced bacon in a cold skillet and place over medium heat. Fry slowly until the fat is fully rendered and the bacon is crispy, about 7 to 9 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a paper towel, leaving all the rendered fat in the skillet.
Lower the skillet heat to medium-low. Add the minced shallot to the warm bacon fat and saute until softened and fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Remove the skillet from the heat entirely. Whisk in the sherry vinegar, Dijon mustard, and a generous pinch of black pepper directly into the warm fat. Scrape up any browned bacon bits from the bottom of the pan to create an emulsified, warm vinaigrette. Taste and adjust salt if necessary.
In a separate saucepan, bring water and the white vinegar to a gentle simmer at 82°C/180°F. Use a whisk or spoon to create a gentle vortex in the water. Crack the eggs into a small ramekin first, then carefully slip them into the center of the vortex. Poach for exactly 3 minutes.
While the eggs are poaching, place the torn dandelion greens in a large mixing bowl. Pour the warm bacon vinaigrette over the greens and add the crispy bacon bits. Toss thoroughly until the greens are lightly wilted from the heat and evenly coated.
Remove the poached eggs from the water using a slotted spoon and dab the bottom of the spoon briefly on a paper towel to remove excess water. Divide the dressed dandelion greens between two plates, and gently rest a poached egg in the center of each pile. Serve immediately.
Chef's Notes
- Starting bacon in a cold pan is the secret to perfectly rendered fat. The gentle, gradual increase in heat allows the fat to melt away before the meat scorches, yielding maximally crisp bacon and plenty of liquid gold for the dressing.
- The bitterness of dandelion greens is entirely intentional here. Fat, acid, and salt are the culinary counterweights to bitterness. When coated in warm pork fat and bright vinegar, the greens transform from punishingly harsh to complex and savory.
- Timing is everything for warm salads. Have your greens washed, torn, and waiting in the bowl before you begin cooking the bacon. The dressing must be warm enough to slightly wilt the greens without cooking them.
- When poaching eggs, the splash of vinegar lowers the pH of the water, which encourages the egg white proteins to coagulate faster, keeping the egg in a tighter, neater package.
Storage
Troubleshooting
Egg whites spread wildly in the poaching water forming unappealing tendrils.
Cause: The eggs are older, causing the outer albumen to break down and become watery, or the water was boiling too vigorously.
Fix: Trim the ragged white edges with a sharp knife or kitchen shears before plating.
Prevention: Use the freshest eggs possible, strain the watery egg white off using a fine mesh sieve before poaching, and maintain a gentle sub-boil.
The salad tastes overwhelmingly bitter.
Cause: The dandelion greens were harvested late in the season, or the vinaigrette lacked sufficient fat and acid to balance the bite.
Fix: Toss in a small drizzle of honey or maple syrup to the remaining greens, or add a pinch of sugar to balance the bitterness.
Prevention: Select younger, lighter-colored dandelion greens when possible. Ensure the bacon fat is completely utilized.
Cultural Context
This recipe is heavily inspired by the classic French Salade Lyonnaise, a bistro staple from the city of Lyon. While traditionally made with frisee lettuce, substituting foraged or cultivated dandelion greens pays homage to traditional rural cooking, where slightly bitter, nutrient-dense weeds were harvested in early spring to revitalize the palate after a long winter of heavy, preserved foods.
