More bacon

I seduced the Mrs. McBardo with bacon some number of years ago now. (I'm not sure if seduction is within the purvey of this blog, but what the hell, Dr. Ricky is playing beach volleyball in the Peruvian Andes, and can't stop me). Mrs. McBardo's favourite dish that I make is a bacon salad. It's quite yummy, and adapted as a less precise version of this recipe from Gourmet magazine. It's even better when the bacon is homemade bacon.

Ingredients:

bacon
frisee lettuce (or endive)
red wine vinegar
shallots
eggs
salt

It's quite simple. Chop up the bacon into small lardons, which can be fried until they're crunchy on the outside, yet slightly chewey inside. Fish out the lardons, sprinkle them on a bowl full of lettuce, and fry the chopped shallots in the bacon grease. When they're soft, translucent and smell delightful, deglaze the pan with red wine vinegar. This part should only take about 30 seconds. And watch out for your face, because if you get a face full of boiling vinegar vapours, you'll feel like you've been punched in the nose. Literally. I'm speaking from experience here. It's quite unpleasant.

The only tricky part to this salad is that while you're making the deglazed salad dressing, you're also poaching one egg/salad. You'll place the lightly poached egg on top of the bacony lettuce, and then drizzle the deglazed bacon grease-shallot-vinegar mixture over the salad. Sprinkle on a bit of salt (I use fleur de sel, but kosher salt will also do).

Serve immediately. The egg, when broken, should ooze yolk over the salad, which adds further richness to the dressing. This is utter decadence. Bacon grease salad dressing will stop your heart, but it's *really* tasty.

Make some tonight. And if you're single, make it for the woman of your dreams, and you'll win her heart forever.