La Salade Lyonnaise is the best brunch salad ever! A soft poached egg served on top of a crouton with a rich, savory jam of shallots reduced in red wine. A zingy garlic vinaigrette. Fresh mixed greens, tossed with crispy bacon. This is the Brunch dish that will transport you to the French meal experience you dream about.
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The city of Lyon has long time been revered as the culinary capital of France. Known for rich, comforting, elevated cooking, based on exceptional local produce. Many of the dishes we associate with French cooking are actually from Lyon. Coq au Vin, Boeuf Bourginon, French Onion Soup, Escargots... the list goes on! Chefs like the late, great, Paul Bocuse have carried the torch of Lyon, elevating it to place of gastronomic pilgrimage.
La Bocuse D'Or
My first trip to Lyon was one such incredible pilgrimage. I accompanied my husband, Le Chef, to Lyon for the International Cooking competition, La Bocuse D'Or, when he was the official Coach of Team Canada. The Olympics of cooking, La Bocuse D'Or is the most revered, and feared, high level cooking competition from which shows like Iron Chef, were inspired. Imagine a stadium-like environment where Chefs from twenty four countries are cooking on the field. Their supporters, decked out in the colors of their countries make the largest ruckus possible. For four hours of cooking!! Intense doesn't even begin to describe it.
Every time I think of Lyon, I think back to this experience, as well as to the delicious meals that we enjoyed in Lyon. La Salade Lyonnaise is a take on the classic salad served in Bouchons (traditional Lyonnais restaurants) and bistros across the city, with a Le Chef's Wife twist, bien sûr.
La Salade Lyonnaise for Four
Ingredients
4 eggs
4 shallots, thinly sliced
6 cups of mixed green salad
10 strips of bacon (about 12 oz)
4 long slices of baguette (cut on a diagonal)
1 tablespoon of white vinegar
Shallots confit
4 shallots
2 cloves of garlic
2 strips of bacon, sliced thinly
2 tbsps of butter
1 bay leaf
¼ cup of red wine (ideally the pinot noir you will serve with the salad!)
Vinaigrette a l'ail
4 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
12 teaspoon olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, chopped into tiny pieces (or pressed through a garlic press)
a pinch of salt
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Lay the strips of bacon out, as spaced apart as possible, on a cookie sheet.
Bake for 30 minutes, turning once and keeping a close eye until the bacon is at your desired level of crispiness. I like mine crispy!
Meanwhile, lets make the shallots confit to spread on your crouton.
Heat the vegetable oil in a non-stick pan over medium high.
Add the shallots, the garlic and the bacon. Stir frequently. Add a pinch of salt.
When the shallots and garlic begin to stick, deglaze the pan with the red wine.
Add in the butter and stir. Remove pan from the heat and gently remove the confit shallots, leaving the oil at the bottom of the pan.
Making the crouton:
Using the flavorful oil that is left in the bottom of the pan from cooking the shallots and bacon, lightly sear your baguette slices until just golden. Flip to brown both sides. Remove from the heat. This only takes a couple minutes.
Spoon the shallot mixture equally over each crouton.
Seasoning the Salad
In a small bowl mix a pinch of salt, balsamic vinegar, olive oil and chopped garlic. Stir with a fork.
Pour over the salad in a large mixing bowl and toss with salad tongs. Evenly split the salad between the 4 plates.
Sprinkle the chopped bacon over each plate (about 2 rashers per person). I love the crispy texture this adds to the dish.
Poaching the eggs
Poaching the eggs should be the very last thing you do. Once you have seasoned the salad, set up your crouton and your guests are ready. Brunch will be ready in 5 minutes!
Bring a sauce pan with 3 inches of water to boil. Add one tablespoon of white vinegar to the water. Gently crack the eggs over the water, one by one. Nudge the eggs with a spoon to lightly shape. After 4 minutes, carefully remove with a slotted spoon and place on a folded paper towel. Gently transfer each egg to a crouton. This makes for a deliciously runny egg. If you would like your egg well done, leave to cook for a couple minutes more.
I like to add a small pinch of fleur de sel to the top of each egg before serving.
Wine Pairing
La Salade Lyonnaise pairs beautifully with a Pinot Noir, the official red grape of the Burgundy region of which Lyon is the capital. I always prefer a Pinot Noir that is rich and fruity, similar to the hearty Pinot Noirs made in Burgundy.
Other Summer Salad Recipes you will enjoy
La Salade Parisienne (Potato Salad with a French twish)
Of course - it all goes beautifully with a homemade French Baguette - the most popular recipe on Le Chef's Wife Blog!
Please let me know if you make this recipe by leaving a rating a comment on the blog. I love to hear from you!
Au plaisir,
Le Chef's Wife
La Salade Lyonnaise - the best brunch salad ever
Description
La Salade Lyonnaise is the best brunch salad ever. A soft poached egg , crispy bacon and a rich shallot jam served on a homemade crouton over mixed greens.
Ingredients
La Salade Lyonnaise for Four
4 eggs
4 shallots, thinly sliced
6 cups of mixed green salad
10 strips of bacon (about 12 oz)
4 long slices of baguette (cut on a diagonal)
1 tbsp of white vinegar
Shallots confit
4 shallots
2 cloves of garlic
2 strips of bacon, sliced thinly
2 tbsps of butter
1 bay leaf
¼ cup of red wine (ideally the pinot noir you will serve with the salad!)
Vinaigrette a l'ail
4 tsp balsamic vinegar
12 tsp olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, chopped into tiny pieces (or pressed through a garlic press)
a pinch of salt
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Lay the strips of bacon out, as spaced apart as possible, on a cookie sheet.
Bake for 30 minutes, turning once and keeping a close eye until the bacon is at your desired level of crispiness. I like mine crispy!
Meanwhile, lets make the shallots confit to spread on your crouton.
Heat the vegetable oil in a non-stick pan over medium high.
Add the shallots, the garlic and the bacon. Stir frequently. Add a pinch of salt.
When the shallots and garlic begin to stick, deglaze the pan with the red wine.
Add in the butter and stir. Remove pan from the heat and gently remove the confit shallots, leaving the oil at the bottom of the pan.
Making the crouton:
Using the flavorful oil that is left in the bottom of the pan from cooking the shallots and bacon, lightly sear your baguette slices until just golden. Flip to brown both sides. Remove from the heat. This only takes a couple minutes.
Spoon the shallot mixture equally over each crouton.
Seasoning the Salad
In a small bowl mix a pinch of salt, balsamic vinegar, olive oil and chopped garlic. Stir with a fork.
Pour over the salad in a large mixing bowl and toss with salad tongs. Evenly split the salad between the 4 plates.
Sprinkle the chopped bacon over each plate (about 2 rashers per person). I love the crispy texture this adds to the dish.
Poaching the eggs
Poaching the eggs should be the very last thing you do. Once you have seasoned the salad, set up your crouton and your guests are ready. Brunch will be ready in 5 minutes!
Bring a sauce pan with 3 inches of water to boil. Add one tablespoon of white vinegar to the water. Gently crack the eggs over the water, one by one. Nudge the eggs with a spoon to lightly shape. After 4 minutes, carefully remove with a slotted spoon and place on a folded paper towel. Gently transfer each egg to a crouton. This makes for a deliciously runny egg. If you would like your egg well done, leave to cook for a couple minutes more.
I like to add a small pinch of fleur de sel to the top of each egg before serving.
Notes
Wine Pairing
La Salade Lyonnaise pairs beautifully with a Pinot Noir, the official red grape of the Burgundy region of which Lyon is the capital. I always prefer a Pinot Noir that is rich and fruity, similar to the hearty Pinot Noirs made in Burgundy.
Other Summer Salad Recipes you will enjoy
La Salade Parisienne (Potato Salad with a French twish)
Of course - it all goes beautifully with a homemade French Baguette - the most popular recipe on Le Chef's Wife Blog!
Sarah says
Hi! One quick question - you mention adding butter to the confit however I don't see butter in the ingredient list. How much should you add? Love your recipes, thanks so much!
lechefswife says
Good catch! Thank you so much for letting me know! I have updated the recipe - my apologies for the oversight. The ingredient list was missing 2 tbsps of butter. Thank you again! Bonne soirée, Anina Belle
Sarah says
Thank you for the update! I tried this recipe out tonight and my husband and I both agreed that it was absolutely delicious. Merci beaucoup!