The perfect French Frisee Salad with bacon fat dressing, bacon croutons and a delightfully runny poached egg. Look good to you? It’s easy to make with the step-by-step instructions in this post. Let’s take a look.
This Frisee Salad is Gluten Free, Paleo, Low Carb and delightfully different.
Frisee. It just sounds fun.
I love frisee salad. It has bacon fat dressing. How can you go wrong there? It has bacon croutons (also called lardons). It has a poached egg. When all the flavors come together it is just about perfection. For the recipe today I am going to give you two versions: one that is paleo and on that isn’t. For the paleo version we will be using some raw honey instead of the brown sugar in the gastrique. This is a really fun salad to make and to eat.
Today I’m looking for some feedback in the comments. Here’s the deal: I love writing about food, but maybe I’ve been writing too much about food in my posts? I think that for this post I’m going to keep it short and sweet. I would love to write about how frisee lettuce is grown (it’s really cool!) and a bit about what a gastrique is, why it tastes so good and just how easy it is to make. If this is the kind of content that you love reading about and want to see more in future posts, please take a minute and shoot me a note with your thoughts in the comments.
Oh yum. Frisee lettuce lightly dressed with the bacon fat dressing and crispy lardons. All it needs is the poached egg!
QUICK COOKING TIP: After you have made the bacon fat dressing, it is going to be REALLY hot. If you pour this right on the frisee lettuce, it will wilt. Frisee is a hearty green, but it can’t hold up to hot sugar and fat being poured right onto it. Let the dressing cool just a bit before adding to the lettuce. Also, don’t pour the dressing on the salad. Pour it in the bottom of a large bowl (just enough to coat the lettuce) and then add the salad in on top. Use tongs to coat the lettuce- it will get in all the nooks and crannies as well as eliminate big sludgy spots of dressing.
The first step for the bacon fat dressing is to start the gastrique, which is just a mixture of sugar (or honey) and vinegar.
After the gastrique has reduced by just about half, add in the whole grain mustard. This is an ancient mustard I am using here- it is mild and delicious.
Mix the mustard in well to the gastrique. If you need to pause the recipe to make the bacon croutons, wash the frisee or start poaching eggs, this is a great place to do it.
When you add in the bacon fat to the gastrique, it will start to bubble. Cook over medium-high heat to your desired consistency. Remember that when it starts to cool it will congeal quickly.
Making the bacon croutons (lardons) for the frisee salad. These are slow rendered and delicious. In this picture they are at the very end of the cooking process.
Making poached eggs is easy- just a bit of vinegar and almost-rolling-boil water. A slotted spoon is highly recommended too! I make 2 minute poached eggs.
FRISEE SALAD RECIPE
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 2 Heads Frisee Lettuce
For the Bacon Croutons (lardons)
- 1/2 LB Slab Bacon cut into ½” strips and then into batons
For the Poached Eggs
- 4 Eggs
- 1 TBSP White Wine Vinegar
For the Bacon Fat Dressing
- 1/4 Cup White Wine Vinegar
- 1 TBSP Raw Honey (FOR PALEO ONLY) or 2 TBSP Brown Sugar (for traditional style)
- 1 TBSP Whole Grain Mustard
- 1/2 Cup Rendered Bacon Fat
Instructions
For the Bacon Croutons
- Use a heavy bottom pan (preferably cast iron) and heat over medium-high heat. Add the bacon pieces so the wide side is flat against the bottom. When the fat starts to render, lower the heat to medium-low. Continue to cook for about 20 minutes, then use tongs to flip the bacon pieces over and cook for another 15 to 20 minutes. If you have thinner bacon, the cooking time should be reduced.
- Use the tongs to remove the bacon croutons to a bowl. Leave the fat in the pan.
Next Steps
- Place a small pot of water over medium-high heat. This will be for the poached eggs. Add in the vinegar and let it warm while you are making all the other items. If you have made poached eggs before and are comfortable, use a larger pot to cook more than 1 at a time. If you have not made them before, start with a small pot. It is much easier.
- Next, wash the lettuce and spin dry or pat dry with clean dish towels. When dry, tear into bite sized pieces with your hands. Set aside.
Making the Bacon Fat Dressing
- In a small saute pan, add in the vinegar and EITHER the honey or brown sugar. Turn the heat to high. Mix well and continue to mix until it has reduced by about half. Turn the heat to low.
- Add the mustard and mix well.
- Add in about ½ cup of the liquid bacon fat. Turn the heat to medium and mix well. Allow to thicken to your desired consistency. Turn off the heat and make some poached eggs!
Making the Poached Eggs
- The water should be nice and hot by now. We are looking for a lazy boil, not a rolling boil. If your water is going crazy, reduce the heat and allow it to calm down. Then, using your slotted spoon, make a slight current in the water with a clockwise motion. Just slight- it should not be crazy. Crack the egg right into the center of the pot. You will see all the wisps rotate around the egg. This is why we created a slight current.
- Allow to cook for 2 minutes for a really runny egg. For a more firm egg, go 2 and a half minutes or for an even more firm egg, goto 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel. Cover with tented foil.
- Cook the remaining eggs in the same manner.
Bringing it all together
- Add enough dressing to the bottom of a large bowl. Toss in the lettuce and coat using some tongs.
- Place the bacon croutons evenly on the bottom of 4 plates. Top with the dressed frisee and poached egg.
- Serve immediately and enjoy.
Nutrition
I always love the moment right before slicing into a poached egg. It’s like getting the most perfect gift on Christmas morning.
Final thoughts on the Frisee Salad Recipe:
Looking for something to serve with this awesome salad? If you’re going to indulge, I would suggest pairing it with my crispy pork belly. What… is bacon fat dressing, bacon croutons and pork belly too much in one meal? No way. Give it a try with my tomato coulis. All the flavors work so well with one another. Yumm.
This salad also loves to be paired up with a nice porterhouse steak or a simple pan seared pork chop. I hope that you like this recipe and keep coming back for more. Have an excellent day in the kitchen!
Yes. Yes and Yes. My favorite part comes next: slicing the salad up, mixing the egg in with the lardons and the dressing. It is rich and absolutely wonderful.
I like what you do. Keep it up!
Hi Dave:
Thank you so much- I’ll keep cranking out the recipes!
Have an excellent day in the kitchen.
Scott
Been following you in pinteres for a while now and just came here to have a look on your own blog and i’m already super amazed by your super delicious sounding recipes and really like how you’re doing things here 🙂 I’ll definitely come back more often! 🙂 have a nice day!
Hi Bella:
Sorry that my response has taken so long- the move overseas really threw a monkey-wrench into the gears. Thanks so much for your kind words- I really appreciate them more than you know. I have a whole slew of new recipes in the making that I’m working to get posted up- please come back to visit!
Take care and happy eating-
Scott
Turned out amazing! Kids and adults loved them! Thank you!
Hi Sarah:
Great to hear that and thank you for taking the time to write your thoughts.
Have a fabulous day in the kitchen!
Scott
Didn’t make the poached egg but used a sunny side up fried egg instead. I thought that everything together tasted really spectacular. Nice recipe.
Hi Carl:
That works too, variation is key. Thank you for posting.
Take care,
Scott