Walking along the banks of the Saone in Lyon, I stumbled upon a small market. With every step, I was carried back to another time, when my mother lived in Paris, and my daughter and I would visit her. Those mornings always began the same way: wandering through street markets, charcuterie’s, and boulangeries, our hands brushing baskets of fresh vegetables, pausing over rows of cheeses, choosing the perfect baguette still warm from the oven.
My mother walked the streets of Paris as if they had always belonged to her. Along the Rue Passy, she moved with quiet confidence, beautifully dressed, a Parisian straw basket resting on her arm, her presence effortlessly elegant. Slowly, lovingly, we filled that basket and made our way home for lunch.
In her apartment, there was always a chilled bottle of Champagne waiting in the refrigerator. She would pour it into delicate glasses, holding them up to the light as if they were her treasures. Smiling, she would point a finger at us and say, “Champagne should always be served in beautiful glasses.”
Today, those moments live only in memory. She no longer remembers Paris, and she no longer remembers me. Nostalgia follows me everywhere, quiet, constant. Yet the older memories remain untouched: the aromas of her kitchen, her handwritten recipes books, the warmth of her home, and this simple, beautiful salad that carries her presence back to me, if only for a moment.
To all my blog readers please remember that this salad is more about the lettuce, a good vinaigrette and a well done poached egg. Stick to the ingredients.
Ingredients for the salad
- 3 cups of torn frisée lettuce or butter lettuce and frisée mix
- 1 1/2 cups of thick cut bacon (Lardon), speck or pancetta cut into strips
- 4 large eggs
- 4 slices of sourdough bread, crusts removed
Ingredients for the dressing
- 5 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon of honey
- 1 small shallot finely sliced. Use a Mandolin if you have one
- Salt flakes and freshly ground pepper to taste
Method
- Cut the bacon into thick strips (lardon) and fry them in a pan over medium heat until crispy on the outside.
- With a slotted spoon transfer the bacon to a paper towel lined plate. Set aside.
- Tear the bread with your hands and plunge the pieces in the remaining fat of the pan where you cooked the bacon. Season with salt and pepper and fry them turning occasionally until golden and crisp. Transfer the bread croutons to a paper towel lined plate. Set aside.
- To make the vinaigrette put the olive oil, the mustard, sherry vinegar, honey and salt and pepper in a bowl and whisk them together until they emulsify and become a creamy dressing. Then add the shallots and with a fork mix again all the ingredients together . Put the vinaigrette aside.
- To poach the eggs bring a large pot of water to a boil with a table spoon of vinegar. Reduce the heat and stir the water with a large spoon to a vortex. Add one egg to the middle of the vortex and cook for 3 minutes for an oozy yolk. Remove the egg with a slotted spoon and place it on a paper towel to remove any excess water. Repeat this process to poach all the eggs.
- To assemble the salad, put the lettuce mixture in a bowl and drizzle over two spoons of vinaigrette. Use your hands or tongs to gently toss the lettuce.
- Place a hand full of the salad onto a serving plate (I used soup plates, they are deep plates). Sprinkle the bacon and bread onto the lettuce.
- Top the lettuce with a poached egg and sprinkle the egg with salt and pepper to taste.
Tips
- Always try to use Frisee lettuce in this recipe. They are slightly bitter and add lots of texture to the salad.
Perth to Paris Recipes 