547. POACHED EGGS with an ARTICHOKE, BACON, and CROUTON SALAD

Serves 4


For the salad
4 large globe artichokes
lemon juice
2 soft round lettuces

For the croutons
2 slices white bread, crusts removed
sunflower oil, for shallow frying
4 rashers of rindless, thick-cut streaky bacon, cut across into short fat strips

For the eggs
4 large, very fresh eggs
white wine vinegar
salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the dressing
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
½ tsp Dijon mustard
6 tbsp sunflower oil

To prepare the artichokes, break off the stems and discard.

Cut off the top half of each globe, and then bend back the green leaves, letting them snap off close to the base, until you reach the hairy choke at the centre.

Slice the choke away with a small knife, close to the heart, or scrape it away with a teaspoon.

Trim off the dark green base of the leaves to leave just the convex-shaped heart.

Drop them into a pan of acidulated water (water and lemon juice) to prevent the hearts going brown.

When you have prepared them all, bring a pan of salted water to the boil. Add the hearts and cook for 4-5 minutes or until just tender, then drain and leave to cool.

Remove the outer leaves of the lettuces and break the pale green hearts into leaves.

Wash and dry well, using a salad spinner if you have one. Slice the artichoke hearts across into thin slices.

For the croutons, tear or cut the bread into small pieces about 1cm/¾in in size.

Heat a thin layer of sunflower oil in a small frying pan, add the bread pieces and fry over a medium-high heat until crisp and golden.

Remove with a slotted spoon and leave to drain on kitchen paper.

Heat a little more sunflower oil in the frying pan, add the bacon strips and fry for 2-3 minutes until crisp. Set aside with the croutons and keep warm.

To make the dressing, return the empty frying pan to a medium-high heat and add the vinegar, followed by the mustard.

Whisk together well, allowing the mixture to reduce very slightly as you do so, then gradually whisk in the sunflower oil and some salt and pepper to taste. Turn off the heat and keep warm.

To poach the eggs, bring 5cm/2in of water to the boil in a wide, shallow pan. Add vinegar and salt (1½ tsp vinegar and ½ tsp salt per 1.2 litres/2 pints water) and reduce to a very gentle simmer. Break in the eggs and leave to poach gently for three minutes. Lift out with a slotted spoon and drain briefly on kitchen paper.

To serve, arrange the salad leaves over the centre of four plates and tuck the artichoke slices in among the leaves. Slide a poached egg into the centre of each salad and scatter with the croûtons and bacon. Spoon over a little of the warm dressing and serve straight away, while everything is still warm.


courtesy of: Rick Stein, French Odyssey