serves
4
prep
20 minutes
cook
25 minutes
difficulty
Mid
serves
4
people
preparation
20
minutes
cooking
25
minutes
difficulty
Mid
level
Ingredients
Dressing
- 20 g Dijon mustard
- 15 ml white wine vinegar
- 5 ml water
- 45 ml extra virgin rapeseed oil
- sea salt, black pepper, to taste
- 10 g French shallot, finely chopped
- ¼ garlic clove, finely diced
Poached eggs
- 2 L water, to poach
- 20 ml white wine vinegar
- 4 medium eggs
Garnish
- 100 g smoked bacon, rind removed, cut into 1 mm slices, plus 200 g smoked bacon extra, cut into 1 cm cubes
- 500 ml cold water
- 80 g x 1 cm croutons, toasted
- 50 g pork scratchings, chopped
Salad
- 10 g frisee lettuce, prepared, washed
- 10 g lamb’s lettuce, prepared, washed
- 10 g endive (escarole), prepared, washed
- 1 tsp chopped chives
- 2 g chopped chervil
- 3 tarragon leaves, chopped
To top the salad
- 1 tbsp chopped chives
- 5 g chopped chervil
- 8 tarragon leaves, chopped
The dressing can be made in advance and refrigerated.
Instructions
To make the dressing, combine mustard, vinegar and the water in a large bowl. Add oil in a thin, steady stream, whisking, until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then add the shallot and garlic.
To poach the eggs, combine the water and vinegar in a large saucepan and bring to boil. Reduce heat, until water is just on simmering point. Crack eggs into separate ramekins. Stir water with a spoon, to create a whirlpool. Tip eggs into centre of swirling water and cook for 3 minutes. Carefully remove and refresh in ice-cold water to stop further cooking. Drain on a perforated tray.
To make the garnish, preheat oven to 170°C. Bake sliced bacon for 12 minutes, then drain and reserve. Heat the water and cubed bacon in a small saucepan on high heat. Bring to boil and cook for 10 seconds. Drain bacon in a colander and stand for 1 minute. Heat a large frying pan on high heat and cook diced bacon for 1 min. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Drain in colander and reserve.
To make the salad, combine ingredients in a large bowl. Drizzle over dressing, then add the cubed bacon and croutons. Top salad with extra herbs.
Reheat the eggs in 90°C water for 3 minutes. Arrange salad in centres of four serving plates. Place poached eggs in centres of four serving bowls and scatter around pork scratchings. Top salad with a reserved bacon crisp.
Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
