Salads
Pain de sucre, egg & bacon salad with a warm vinaigrette
This is a classic French salad, balancing salty, rich and bitter flavours. It is usually made with curly endive, but is ideal with Pain de Sucre, sometimes known as Sugarloaf chicory, as it has the same forthright bitter taste. The warm vinaigrette is made by adding to the fat leftover from cooking the bacon; you can just make a standard vinaigrette if this seems a little too indulgent.
Cook's notes
You can lengthen this to a more substantial lunch by adding a few warm boiled potatoes, coarsely diced. And if the fancy takes you, you could poach your eggs instead of hard-boiling, and serve them with a runny yolk.
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 4 rashers of streaky bacon or 80g of pancetta, diced
- 100g Pain de Sucre, shredded
- 1 small shallot, very finely diced
- 2 tbsp cider vinegar
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
Method
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Step 1
Pop the eggs in a pan of cold water bring them gently to the boil. Cook them for exactly 6 mins from the point the water reaches a steady rolling boil.
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Step 2
In the meantime, fry the bacon in a little oil until golden and starting to crisp. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon. Let the bacon fat cool a little.
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Step 3
When the eggs are ready, cool them under cold running water until just cool enough to handle. Give them a few firm taps to break the shell and gently remove it. Keep to one side while you make the dressing.
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Step 4
Add the shallot, vinegar and mustard to the warm bacon fat. Mix together, adding enough olive oil to lengthen it into a sharp, salty dressing. Throw the crispy bacon and Pain de Sucre in the dressing. Divide between 2 plates, cut the warm eggs into wedges and serve them on top with a grind of black pepper and pinch of sea salt.