Warm Frisee Salad
with Bacon, Potatoes & Poached Eggs
4 fingerling potatoes
1 half head of small head frisee (a fine leafed member of
the chicory/endive family)
1 quarter of a small head of Radicchio
1 half of a head of red butter lettuce
4 thick slices of smoked bacon
olive oil
1 tablespoon white vinegar
2 eggs
Salt and pepper
1-1/2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Cook the potatoes by placing in a small saucepan, cover
with water and add a teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil and
simmer for perhaps ten minutes until the potatoes are
tender when pierced with a knife. Drain then and cool
slightly, then half them lengthwise of into long diagonal
slices.
Wash and spin-dry the frisee and the butter head lettuces.
Tear then into bite-sized pieces. Thinly slice the
radicchio. Combine in a medium bowl.
Cut the bacon crosswise into 1/4 inch strips and fry until
almost crisp. Remove from the frying pan with a
slotted-spoon and place it in the bowl with the greens. Add
the cut up potatoes to the bacon fat in the frying pan.
Season the potatoes with salt and pepper and sauté until
slightly browned. Remove the potatoes from the pan with a
slotted spoon and add to the salad bowl. If there in not
sufficient fat remaining in the pan to dress the salad, add
olive oil to the pan. With the skillet over moderate heat,
add the red wine vinegar to the pan, scrapping up bits of
potato and bacon that might cling to the pan. Let the
vinegar boil for a few moments before adding the oil and
vinegar mixture to the salad bowl. Toss the salad to spread
the dressing.
While the bacon is cooking, poach the two eggs by sliding
them into a gently simmering wide saucepan of water to
which was added the tablespoon of vinegar. Cook the eggs
for three minutes and remove with a slotted-spoon to drain
on paper towels.
Arrange half of the salad on a plate and top with the
poached egg. Repeat with the other plate.
Serves 2.