1/2 cup shallots, peeled and thinly sliced lengthwise

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

10 ounces baby spinach, stems removed, cleaned and dried

2 ounces arugula, stems removed, cleaned and dried

Kosher salt to taste

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon good balsamic vinegar

4 eggs, poached or hard-cooked

Freshly ground pepper to taste

4 slices of a good French baguette, lightly toasted

 

Place the lardons in a sauté pan that will hold them snugly in one layer. Fill the pan with enough cold water to just cover the lardons. Cook the bacon over high heat until the water has boiled off and the fat has begun to render. Then turn the heat to medium low and continue cooking until the lardons are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside (good idea to taste them to make sure). Place the shallots in a sauté pan with the olive oil over high heat and cook until the shallots begin to sweat, then reduce the heat to medium low and continue cooking until the shallots just begin to brown. In the meantime, combine the spinach and arugula in a large bowl that will facilitate tossing. Sprinkle the greens with kosher salt to taste about five minutes before you complete the salad. When you’re ready to serve, turn the shallots and bacon up to high; they should be very hot. Sprinkle the shallots over the greens. Pour the lardons and their fat over the greens (use only as much fat as you need to coat all the greens; reserve the remaining fat for another use). Toss the greens until they’re nicely coated with the fat. Season the salad with the red wine vinegar and the balsamic to taste. Divide the salad into four pasta bowls, top with a poached egg or chopped hard-boiled egg, and serve with a slice of a good baguette that’s been brushed with olive oil or extra bacon fat.

 

 

 

Yield:

Calories:

Fat:

Fiber: