Curly Endive Salad with Bacon (or Mushrooms) & Poached Eggs
Curly Endive Salad with Bacon (or mushrooms) and Poached Eggs
Ingredients
A rather fancy salad for a special occasion— delicious. We recommend sourcing your bacon locally, or substituting with mushrooms.
4 cups 1/2-inch cubes good-quality white bread
6 tablespoons olive oil
Salt
Fresh-ground black pepper
1/2 pound sliced bacon, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch strips
2 small heads curly endive (about 1 1/2 pounds in all), torn into bite-size pieces (about 5 quarts)
3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon red- or white-wine vinegar
4 eggs
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
How to Make It
Step 1
Put a large frying pan over moderate heat. Toss the bread cubes with 2 tablespoons of the oil and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Put them in the pan and cook, stirring frequently, until crisp and brown, about 5 minutes. Remove the croutons from the pan.
Step 2 (Skip this step if opting for the vegetarian version! and instead, prepare as much avocado as you would like to eat with your salad)!
Add the bacon to the pan and cook until crisp. Remove and drain. Put in a large glass or stainless-steel bowl with the endive. Pour off all but 1/4 cup of the fat from the pan.
Step 3
Fill a saucepan two-thirds full with water. Add the 1 teaspoon vinegar and bring to a boil. Break each egg into a cup or small bowl and slide one at a time into the water. Reduce the heat to a bare simmer. Poach the eggs until the whites are set but the yolks are still soft, about 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Step 4
To the fat in the pan, add the remaining 4 tablespoons oil, the garlic, thyme, and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Warm the dressing over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until the garlic barely starts to brown, about 2 minutes. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons vinegar and remove from the heat. Toss the dressing with the endive and bacon until the endive wilts slightly. Add the croutons and toss again. Put on plates. Top each salad with a warm egg
