A riff on the ubiquitous Salade Lyonnaise, a much loved dish from the city of Lyon. The principle of this salad rests on the use of bitter salad greens combined with a warm bacon dressing and topped by a fried or poached egg. Brussels sprouts are a fine substitute for bitter salad greens.
Yield: 4
Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 lb Brussels sprouts, trimmed and quartered
- 3/4 cup diced bacon
- 2 Tbsp cider vinegar or more to taste
- 1 Tbsp whole grain mustard or to taste
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander or to taste
- 4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for frying the eggs
- 1/2 cup finely chopped scallions
- 1/2 cup finely chopped Italian parsley
- 2 cups arugula, washed and long stems trimmed
- salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 4 large eggs
- Spanish smoked paprika or red pepper flakes for garnish (optional)
Preparation:
Bring water to a boil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the Brussels sprouts and cook them for about 5-8 minutes. Pierce them with a fork to gauge the tenderness.
They should be “al dente”. The warm bacon dressing will cook them further. Drain Brussels sprouts in a colander and run them under cold water to arrest cooking. Set aside to drain and cool. Place a skillet over medium heat and the bacon dices. Cook bacon until crisp and browned about 5 minutes. If bacon dices render a lot of fat, and are not getting crisp, pour most of the bacon fat in a small saucepan and keep it warm over very low heat. Continue crisping the bacon to your liking. Set aside on paper towels to drain.
In a large bowl, add vinegar, mustard, garlic, coriander, salt and pepper. Drizzle the olive oil in while whisking constantly. Add the Brussels sprouts, scallions, parsley and arugula. Add the bacon dices and some of the warm bacon fat. Bacon oil temperature should NOT be so high that dressing sizzles. Toss gently making sure that all ingredients are well coated. Adjust seasoning to your taste.
Wipe off the skillet used for the bacon. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and warm it over medium heat. Fry the eggs to your liking. Divide the Brussels sprouts salad among 4 plates and top each with one egg. Garnish with a sprinkle of Spanish smoked paprika or red pepper flakes.
Serve with some crusty bread to mop up the savory bacon dressing and the egg yolk.
