Summary
This is a riff on the traditional salade lyonnaise, which is a green salad with lardons, croutons, and a poached egg. In our version, pancetta slices replace the lardons, one big crouton steps in for smaller croutons, and the salad is topped off with a little sherry vinegar. This dish is typically served as a starter, but it also works well as a light meal.
What to buy: Purchase high-quality pancetta from a gourmet store or your local butcher and have it cut to order. Otherwise, make your own pancetta and use some of it in this salad.
Game plan: This is one of those salads that you make and eat right away because the warm dressing wilts the greens slightly. If you want to eat it later, you can make the croutons and poached eggs up to 2 days ahead and finish the rest of the recipe when you’re ready. To reheat the poached eggs, place in gently simmering water for a few minutes until heated through.
Also, the fresher the eggs are when you poach them, the better the whites will hold their shape.
This recipe was featured as part of our How to Make Pancetta story.
Ingredients
- 4 (1/2-inch-thick) slices country bread, such as pain au levain or ciabatta
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium garlic clove, peeled
- 4 teaspoons distilled white vinegar
- 4 large eggs
- 4 (1/8-inch-thick) slices pancetta
- 2 heads frisée, washed and torn into large pieces
- 1/4 cup sherry vinegar