serves 2 as a light main course, 4 as an appetizer
In my pre-child, going-out-on-the-town days, I used to frequent the Odeon, back when it was one of the few late-night restaurants where you could get a full meal at one a.m. (now even typing this is making me tired). I’d pop in postdancing, ravenous, and order the frisée salad, which was composed of a shower of plump confited garlic cloves, a pig’s worth of fried lardons, plenty of crunchy croutons, and a mound of blue cheese. Somewhere in the bowl were a few wilted frisée leaves, though to be honest I might have left them on the bottom of the bowl. This salad was not about dieting. It was about flavorful excess, and I adored it.
Fast-forward to my more restrained, grown-up version. I have since discovered that I actually like frisée, and so in my salad, I use enough of the pale, curly greens to actually contribute some wholesome vegetable matter to the mix. I skipped the caramelized garlic confit because this is a spontaneous salad and I never seem to have jars full of garlic confit around when I want them. Instead, I go the more pungent route and paste up a garlic clove to add to the dressing. If you don’t feel like going to the trouble of poaching the eggs, go ahead and fry them instead. The blue cheese is strictly optional. If Daniel is supping with me, I leave it out. But if I’m alone, I pile it on and flash back to those crazy, underage dancing days—from the sedentary comfort of my couch.
4 strips bacon (6 ounces)
1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
¼ teaspoon plus 1 pinch kosher salt
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 large eggs
8 ounces frisée
2 scallions, thinly sliced
2 ounces blue cheese, crumbled (about ½ cup)
1. In a hot skillet over medium-high heat, fry the bacon until crisp. Transfer to a paper towel–lined plate to drain. Let cool slightly; crumble.
2. On a cutting board, use the flat side of a knife to mash together the garlic and a pinch of salt until a paste forms (or use a mortar and pestle). In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic paste, vinegar, mustard, and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt. Slowly whisk in the oil until it is incorporated.
3. Fill a medium pot three-quarters full with water; bring to a simmer. Crack the eggs, one at a time, into a ramekin. Lower the ramekin to the surface of the water and let the egg slide into it. Use a spoon to gently nudge the white closer to the yolk as it simmers. Cook until the white is just set, about 2 minutes for soft-poached eggs. Remove each egg with a slotted spoon and set them aside on a plate while you cook the remainder.
4. In a large bowl, toss together the frisée, crumbled bacon, scallions, and dressing. Divide the salad among individual serving plates. Top each with a poached egg and a sprinkle of crumbled cheese.