Salade Lyonnaise

This is a simple, elegant brunch, lunch, or light summer dinner. I've also made this with an egg gently fried in the bacon fat, sunny-side up, which is easier than making a poached egg and tastes just as good. While you can substitute the frisée with another bitter green, I wouldn't bother. Frisée holds up well to the bacon and the heat of the dressing. Arugula would wilt and become too soft.

Yes, croutons, plus a few sautéed chicken livers, as they do at Bar Boloud in New York.

I've made this classic from many recipes. Alice Waters' from The Art of Simple Food (where she calls it Poached Egg with Curly Endive Salad) adds a step that improves any recipe for it: Set a metal bowl over a pot of simmering water. Pour the vinaigrette into the bowl, add the frisee, stir it around to coat with the dressing until slightly wilted (but not so long that it gets hot and starts to cook). Remove the salad bowl from the heat and divide the greens among pre-warmed plates.

Perfect just as it is. Bitter fresh greens are essential. The quality of your bacon is important too. The salad should should be served warm, so heed the rewarming of the dressing at the end, and consider warming your serving bowls, especially in cool weather.

Diced pre cooked Idaho potatoes sautéed in the bacon grease makes great croutons on this .

I add a few tablespoons of apple cider vinegar to my water when poaching the eggs. Really helps keep them together and does not impart any flavor into the eggs.

Pancetta is available at most supermarket deli counters. Have them give you 1/2 pound in slices, sliced 1/4-inch thick. Then cut it into lardons (short strips). Much better than bacon!

First had this in Paris made with pissenlits, dandelion greens. Serve with crusty French bread for lovely light supper/lunch.

Arugula is also bitter and more readily available at markets these days.

Had this recently in Lyon - at Au Bouchon Lyonnaise in Vieux Lyon. They added croutons. It was delicious - better than salade nicoise any day.

i have made this without the bacon, using a few more shallots and it is very good. a good vinegar is essential.

escarole works well. Frisee is hard to find here in Salt Lake, but one of the markets here always has escarole.

Anyone who has been to or lived in Lyon would whole-heartedly agree that Lyon is the gastronomic capital of France. This recipe is spot on, and I highly recommend thicker cut bacon or lardons rather than pancetta.

Poaching eggs in silicon cups and cooking up bacon and homemade croutons in advance to toss into this salad makes it a regular weeknight favorite with my husband and son (who otherwise don't consider salad to be "dinner.")

@markbittman you mention this is *almost* the ideal salad. I am having friends over this weekend, and would prefer to serve them the absolute ideal salad. Any thoughts?