The Absolute Best Greens To Use In Lyonnaise Salad

A Lyonnaise salad is a classic dish that manages to taste rich, complex, and satisfying despite only having a few ingredients. Essentially, it consists of salad leaves topped with bacon pieces and a poached egg, dressed in a warm vinaigrette enriched with bacon fat. Using the right ingredients is key when there are so few. And while there are many different types of lettuce for salads, frisée is the perfect choice for salade Lyonnaise.

Frisée is part of the chicory family along with radicchio and endive. That might give you a clue as to the taste. Because, despite its delicate-looking narrow lacy leaves that make it appear pretty on the plate, the dominant flavor on the palate is bitterness. It's exactly this bold bitter taste that makes frisée, which is sometimes known as curly endive, ideal for Lyonnaise salad. The flavor of the greens naturally balances the luxurious richness of the oozing yolk and the fatty, salty pork. It also has a crispy texture, which contrasts nicely with the soft perfectly poached egg and chewy bacon. And when dressed in a tangy mustard-spiked vinaigrette, the whole dish really comes together in perfect harmony.

If you can't get hold of frisée, a traditional alternative is dandelion greens. But you could substitute other more widely available leaves such as arugula, escarole, or radicchio. Just make sure to use something crisp with a strong flavor that can stand up to the rest of the ingredients.

First of all, carefully wash and thoroughly dry the frisée. The frizzy leaves retain lots of water because of their shape, and you don't want them to be wet when they get tossed in the oily vinaigrette as they won't get well-coated. Either use a salad spinner or let them air dry. The leaves can be tricky to eat if they're large, so cut or tear them using your hands into bite-size pieces. Discard the heart, as it can taste unpleasantly bitter.

As for the other key ingredients, lardons (slab bacon cut into bite-size pieces) are the classic choice, but you could substitute thick bacon or pancetta cut into slices. The eggs — the scientifically proven perfect partner for bacon thanks to the umami synergy between them — could be poached in advance if you want to get ahead. Keep them in cold water in the fridge then reheat them when you're ready.

For the dressing, use good olive oil along with sherry vinegar, red wine vinegar, or apple cider vinegar depending on personal preference. Make the dressing in the same pan you've rendered the bacon in to incorporate the warm fat and make it deliciously rich and unctuous. And while many recipes feature croutons, the salad is already bursting with enough contrasting textures and flavors if you prefer to leave them out. Try some crusty bread on the side to soak up the rich dressing instead.