844. WARM SPINACH SALAD with POACHED EGGS, FRIZZLED KABANOS and BACON

serves 2 as a light lunch or supper


4 oz (110 g) ready-washed young leaf spinach, plus a few sprigs of watercress
4 large, very fresh eggs
3 oz (75 g) smoked kabaños sausage
4 rashers smoked back bacon or 8 streaky rashers
1 small onion, peeled
2 oz (50 g) open mushrooms
2 slices white bread, crusts removed
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons dry sherry
1½ tablespoons sherry vinegar
freshly milled black pepper

You need to begin this by preparing everything in advance. The onion, mushrooms and bacon rashers need to be finely chopped into ¼ inch (5 mm) pieces; the sausage should also be chopped, but fractionally larger. Then cut the bread into ¼ inch (5 mm) cubes (croutons) and arrange the spinach and watercress on two large plates, removing any large stalky bits first.

Now poach the eggs (see How to poach an egg, below) and, while they're sitting in the hot water, take a medium-sized, heavy-based frying pan and heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in it until it's very hot and gives off a fine haze. Then fry the croutons, tossing them around in the pan, until they're crisp and golden brown – about 1-2 minutes – and after that remove them to drain on some kitchen paper.

Now add the rest of the oil to the pan and, again, let it get really hot before adding the prepared bacon, onion and sausage. Toss them all around, keeping the heat high to make everything brown and toasted at the edges.

After 4 minutes, add the chopped mushrooms and toss these around, still keeping the heat high, for about 2 minutes. Finally, season with freshly milled black pepper, add the sherry and sherry vinegar to the pan, giving it a few seconds to bubble and reduce. Then transfer the eggs to sit on top of the spinach and watercress, pour the contents of the pan over everything and sprinkle the croutons on top.


courtesy of: Sainsbury’s Magazine, December 1997