By Mark Bittman
Updated Oct. 17, 2023
- Total Time
- 30 minutes
- Rating
- 5(951)
- Notes
- Read community notes
Whether Lyon ever was the gastronomic capital of France is debatable, but it sure has spawned some great dishes, including salade Lyonnaise, not the most simple salad ever made but one that approaches perfection in a way others do not. The combination of bitter greens (traditionally frisée, though escarole, dandelion, and arugula all work beautifully), crisp bacon, barely cooked eggs and warm vinaigrette is really unbeatable.
Featured in: The Secret to a Great Salade Lyonnaise
Learn: How to Make Salad
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Ingredients
Yield:4 servings
- 4cups torn frisée or other strong-tasting greens, washed and dried
- 2tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- About ½ pound good slab bacon or pancetta, cut into ½-inch cubes
- 1shallot, chopped, or 1 tablespoon chopped red onion
- 2 to 4tablespoons top-quality sherry vinegar
- 1tablespoon Dijon mustard
- Salt
- 4eggs
- Black pepper
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
369 calories; 32 grams fat; 9 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 16 grams monounsaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 5 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 2 grams sugars; 14 grams protein; 544 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Step
1
Put frisée or other greens in large salad bowl. Put olive oil in skillet over medium heat. When hot, add bacon and cook slowly until crisp all over, about 10 minutes. Add shallot or onion and cook until softened, a minute or two. Add vinegar and mustard to the skillet and bring just to a boil, stirring, then turn off heat.
Step
2
Meanwhile, bring about an inch of salted water to a boil in a small, deep skillet, then lower heat to barely bubbling. One at a time, break eggs into a shallow bowl and slip them into the bubbling water. Cook eggs for 3 to 5 minutes, just until the white is set and the yolk has filmed over. Remove each egg with a slotted spoon and drain briefly on paper towel.
Step
3
If necessary, gently reheat dressing, then pour over greens (they should wilt just a bit), toss and season with salt and pepper to taste. Top each portion with an egg and serve immediately. (Each person gets to break the egg.)
Ratings
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out of 5
951
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Cooking Notes
Tom Hu
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.
.webb
Yes, croutons, plus a few sautéed chicken livers, as they do at Bar Boloud in New York.
Robert
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.
Wallatom
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.
Oldgolfmike@hotmail.com
Diced pre cooked Idaho potatoes sautéed in the bacon grease makes great croutons on this .
Allen
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.
Kathy S.
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!
Linda
First had this in Paris made with pissenlits, dandelion greens. Serve with crusty French bread for lovely light supper/lunch.
Robert Fenerty
Arugula is also bitter and more readily available at markets these days.
Wayne
Had this recently in Lyon - at Au Bouchon Lyonnaise in Vieux Lyon. They added croutons. It was delicious - better than salade nicoise any day.
Weslie
i have made this without the bacon, using a few more shallots and it is very good. a good vinegar is essential.
Christer Whitworth
escarole works well. Frisee is hard to find here in Salt Lake, but one of the markets here always has escarole.
Chelsy G
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.
Jane
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.")
Ryan W
@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?
Eric
For those who don’t eat pork, what might replace bacon? Turkey bacon?
Inge
Made this with guanciale. Very good. Beautiful salad.
mackenzie
Use capers instead of bacon
janice
With a French onion soup starter,this was a fabulous main.
Minnie
Would kale work?
Jeff
Just returned from two weeks in the Rhone valley, which included a few days in Lyon. Had salade Lyonnaise at Buchon Les Lyonnais in Vieux Lyon. It was delicious. Two differences versus this fine NYT recipe: (1) the bacon was diced and appeared to be cut from a slab, and (2) the salad had croutons. All yummy
Tutu
I don’t understand frying bacon in Olive Oil as bacon renders fat. Do I use the bacon fat & olive oil combined as base of salad dressing?
Lynnie R.
Yes! That is exactly it.
next time
Add tomatoes
LeenieLoo
This recipe is easy and the results are delicious. I served it as a light supper with a loaf of bread and some cheese. The added special ingredient was red kale frisée. OUTSTANDING
Kate
Love this, and have made it many times. Next time I will add an extra egg to each serving: they transform a really good salad into a spectacular salad!
nvony
Boiled 1 pound of young, buttery fingerlings while the bacon was rendering. Let them cool down to lukewarm, cut in half, and add to the vinaigrette in the pan a few minutes before mixing the greens in.With added potatoes, the salad turns into a full meal, perfect for Summer lunch or dinner. Make sure to use all 4 tablespoons of vinegar (max amount of the range), and perhaps an extra teaspoon of Dijon, as they absorb some of the potency if the vinaigrette.Everything comes together perfectly!
Beek
What do you do with the bacon? Just add it? or eat it right then and there?
Lynnie R.
Add it. Chop into appealing chunks, strips, whatever, and add. This is a fantastic, very classic bacon and egg salad!
poach eggs : add 2 Table spoons of veniegar to the water
I is ok but salty.*I drained pancetta/shallot or it will be way too much oil. However, I added olive oil to salad.Poach egg: did not add salt to the water Old egg: drain out the loose white before start, put it in ramekin Boil water, turn it down to very low, add 2tbls venieger Add egg to water, stir few times gently, cook 3.5 minutes or 4 minutes
gina_gerl
Yes - yum yum. Not only delicious, very impressive looking!
poach eggs : add 2 Table spoons of veniegar to the water
Poach eggs: use sauté panAdd water and 2 Tabl spoons vinegarBoil water and remove pan to to a non-heated burnerCrack egg inti tea cup; slide egg to waterCover and cook for 5 minutes, up to 8 eggs
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