So far, 2013 is going pretty well for me. We’re only 2 weeks in and I’ve already accomplished several of my goals for the year:
I have a clean, organized office.
I’ve been doing more than sit in the sauna when I go to the gym.
I’ve actually been keeping up on laundry and making the bed.
I’ve been baking bread.
I finally learned how to poach an egg.
Yes! Now I can make a real salade Lyonnaise instead of copping out and insisting that “it tastes better with a fried egg, anyway”.
You’ve probably had a salade Lyonnaise at one point or at least seen it on a menu. It’s a frisée (yes, that curly lettuce you’ve been avoiding in your mixed greens for as long as you can remember) salad with lardons and a poached egg. I’m making a couple of additions to the traditional version- oyster mushrooms and a few tiny fingerling potatoes- to bulk it up to full dinner entrée status.
Let’s get going. It’s quick and easy, perfect for a weeknight dinner or fantastic for a Sunday brunch. Boil the potatoes and drain. Crisp up the pork lardons, remove from the pan.
Pull the oyster mushrooms apart and sauté them in the rendered pork fat until golden. Toss the potatoes and lardons back in the pan along with a splash of red wine vinegar and a dollop of mustard.
Now for the eggs. Dun dun dun. I had always struggled in previous poaching attempts. Maybe I just hadn’t gone to the right source. This time I followed instructions from America’s Test Kitchen. Normally, they tend to overcomplicate things, but this was the simplest explanation I’d ever heard and it yielded perfect results, without any mention of creating a water vortex or using any special equipment. Bring a skillet of salted water to a simmer with a splash of vinegar. Crack your eggs into individual teacups and gently ease them into the water. Cover, turn off the flame, and poach for 4 minutes. No problem.
While the eggs poach, scatter the friseé between dinner plates and top with the warm potatoes and mushrooms. Spoon the pan juices and lardons over the top. Remove the eggs with a slotted spoon and let all those feathery pieces float away. Place an egg on each salad.
Admire your creation, revel in your new kitchen skill. Grab a chunk of crusty homemade bread, dive into your salad, and ponder what the rest of 2013 will bring
- ½# Baby Fingerling Potatoes
- 3 oz. Lardons (cubed salt pork, bacon, or pancetta)
- 3.5 oz. Oyster Mushrooms
- 1 head Friseé Lettuce, torn
- ½ Shallot, thinly sliced
- 2 Tbsp. Red Wine Vinegar
- 1 tsp. Dijon Mustard
- 1 Tbsp. White Vinegar
- 2 Eggs
- Boil potatoes until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain.
- In a large skillet, sauté lardons over medium-high heat until crisp, 6-8 minutes. Remove from pan and reserve. If there is a lot of fat in the pan, pour a bit out, leaving a thin coating on the bottom of the pan.
- Add mushrooms to the pan and sauté until golden, 8-10 minutes. Add potatoes and lardons, combine. Add red wine vinegar and mustard, toss. Season with black pepper and salt, if necessary (mine didn’t need any- it was salty enough from the lardons).
- Meanwhile, bring water to a simmer in another skillet or medium saucepan. Salt the water and add a Tbsp. of white vinegar. Crack the eggs into 2 teacups. Gently lower the eggs into the simmering water, cover, turn off the heat. Let the eggs poach for 4-5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and allow to drain briefly on a paper towel.
- Meanwhile, divide the lettuce between 2 plates. Top with the warm potato and mushroom mixture, spooning the pan juices over the salad. Place a poached egg on each salad, sprinkle with black pepper, and serve immediately.
Pam says
THIS is why you keep talking about poached eggs! Good for you! (and also good that you are making your bed, may I say “it’s about time”???) The recipe looks great – a little of everything you need for a well-balanced meal any time of day! Are you hinting at a bread recipe coming soon? Can’t wait!
Love, Mom