Pink of Perfection

Has this week been intense for you? Mine’s been intense, like, whoa. A bit of intensity can be good, though. Instead of skating along on the surface of the day-to-day, you’re right in there, engrossed in your work, your relationships, affected deeply by the light, the poems you read, the music you hear. It’s a little exhausting to be so on, riding the merry-go-round of so many feelings. But it also seems sort of fitting right now.

I mark the time in my life by the willow tree on the next block. It’s a subtle sort of tree. It doesn’t suddenly spring into bloom like the more obvious show-offs in the neighborhood. Its branches take on a brittle look in the colder months, snap off, and collect on the ground around its trunk. And right now, it’s marked by just a faint coloring of green. In another month or two, it will be lush with long, feathery leaves and whispery when the wind blows. But I know from watching it even now that change is afoot.

Do you feel that way, too, as the seasons shift? Do you feel like you’re coming up from underground, waking from a long sleep?

Well…I’m not quite sure how to transition into talking about this salad, other than to say that the bright orange yolk of a runny egg feels like a new beginning, whether it’s eaten in April or February. But I love this salad deeply, and eating it transports me to a memory of something I’ve never even done: I am sitting outside a Paris bistro on a rickety chair in the sun, the traffic going by, lifting fork to mouth, this salad perched on the tines. I am wearing something impossibly, yet effortlessly chic. And I never, ever sweat. Isn’t this a fun game? By the way, the very best thick-cut bacon and the freshest egg you can find make all the difference here.

One more thing: thank you. Thank you so much for being the best blog readers out there and for making this not only fun but meaningful. Really. Thank you.

Happy weekend!

Frisée with Lardon
Serves 1

You might like less lettuce, more bacon, more dressing, no egg — whatever. There’s no magic to this salad other than the combination of ingredients; you pretty much make it exactly the way you would think. I’m laying out measurements just as rough guideline, but by all means and, as always, make it your way.

1/2 head of frisée, washed and torn into bite-sized pieces (about 3 cups)
3 slices extra-thick cut bacon (preferably slab), cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
1 super fresh egg
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons minced shallot or garlic (optional)

In a skillet over moderately-high heat, fry bacon until crisp. Remove to a paper-towel lined plate. Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Crack the egg into a shallow dish, like a tea cup saucer, and lower into the boiling water, just where the bubbles are breaking the surface. Cover, turn off heat, and let sit for 3-4 minutes. Meanwhile, in the bottom of a salad bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, and shallot or garlic, if using. Add frisé and bacon to the bowl and toss until all the green sprigs are well-dressed. Put salad on a serving plate. With a slotted spoon, lift the poached egg out of the water; wipe the underside of the spoon with a paper towel to get rid of any clinging water and place egg on top of the salad like a crown. Break open the yolk with your fork and dig in.

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