Frisee lettuce tossed with warm bacon dressing and croutons, topped with a poached egg, a classic bistro salad from Lyon.
Salade lyonnaise comes from Lyon, a city famous for its hearty bouchon-style bistro cooking, and this salad exemplifies that style — built around bitter frisee lettuce that stands up well to a warm, rendered bacon dressing. Thick-cut bacon (lardons) is rendered until crisp, and the hot fat is whisked with vinegar and a touch of mustard right in the pan, creating a warm dressing that's poured over the frisee to lightly wilt it just before serving. A perfectly poached egg on top is essential, not optional — when cut into, the runny yolk mixes with the warm bacon dressing to essentially become a second sauce, coating the leaves and croutons underneath.
Serves 4
Cook diced bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes; remove with a slotted spoon, leaving the fat in the pan.
Fry the bread cubes in the same bacon fat until golden and crisp, about 3-4 minutes; remove.
Off heat, whisk vinegar, mustard and olive oil into the remaining bacon fat in the pan.
Whisk the dressing right in the warm pan so the residual heat helps it emulsify and stay warm for wilting the lettuce.
Bring a pot of water with white vinegar to a bare simmer, crack eggs into the water one at a time, and poach 3 minutes until the whites are set but yolks remain runny.
Toss the frisee with the warm dressing, bacon and croutons, then divide among plates.
Top each salad with a poached egg, season with salt and pepper, and serve immediately.
Use frisee specifically if you can find it — its slightly bitter, feathery leaves hold up to the warm dressing far better than soft lettuces.
Poach the eggs in barely simmering, not boiling, water, and add a splash of vinegar to help the whites set quickly around the yolk.
Serve immediately after assembling; the warm dressing wilts the frisee quickly, and the salad loses its appeal if it sits too long.
A version with chicken livers sauteed in the bacon fat is a more traditional and heartier addition.
Swap frisee for a mix of bitter greens like escarole if frisee isn't available.
Adding shaved parmesan is a common, if non-traditional, modern touch.
Best assembled and eaten immediately; the components don't hold well once combined, though the bacon and croutons can be made a few hours ahead and reheated briefly.
Salade lyonnaise is a signature dish of Lyon's traditional bouchon restaurants, small family-run eateries known for rustic, filling dishes that make full use of every part of the pig, reflected here in the rendered bacon fat used for both croutons and dressing.
Yes, poach them slightly under, then transfer to an ice bath; reheat briefly in hot water for 30 seconds before serving.
A mix of arugula and escarole approximates the slightly bitter, sturdy texture needed to stand up to the warm dressing.
The water was likely boiling too hard, or the eggs weren't fresh enough — use the freshest eggs possible and keep the water at a bare simmer.
Per serving (250g / 8.8 oz) · 4 servings total
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