Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large 12-inch skillet (cast iron preferred)
• •Mandoline or very sharp knife
• •Large serving bowl (at least 4-quart capacity)
• •Slotted spoon
• •Kitchen tongs

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the spinach

   Place your spinach in a large serving bowl, the biggest you have. The bowl must accommodate tossing without sending leaves over the edges. If your spinach came prewashed, taste a leaf. If any grit remains, wash it in several changes of cold water and spin it completely dry. Wet leaves will steam and turn slimy when the hot dressing hits them. Dry leaves wilt gracefully.

   Baby spinach is essential here. Mature spinach has tough stems and an aggressive mineral flavor that overwhelms the bacon. Look for tender, small leaves with no yellowing.
2. 2

   Shave the mushrooms

   Using a mandoline or a very sharp knife, slice the cremini mushrooms as thin as you can manage, about 1/16 inch. They should be nearly translucent, supple enough to bend without breaking. Raw mushrooms this thin have a completely different character than thick slices: creamy, almost meaty, with none of that squeaky texture. Scatter them over the spinach along with the red onion slices.

3. 3

   Soft-boil the eggs

   Bring a medium saucepan of water to a rolling boil. Carefully lower your eggs into the water using a slotted spoon. Reduce heat to maintain a gentle boil and cook for exactly 7 minutes. This produces a jammy yolk, set around the edges but flowing in the center. Transfer immediately to an ice bath for 3 minutes, then peel under cool running water. Set aside at room temperature.

   Start with cold eggs straight from the refrigerator. Room temperature eggs cook faster and the timing becomes unpredictable. Cold eggs, 7 minutes, ice bath. Consistent results every time.
4. 4

   Render the bacon

   Place bacon lardons in a large, cold skillet. Set over medium heat and cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until the fat has rendered and the bacon is deeply browned and crisp, 10 to 12 minutes. The low-and-slow approach prevents burning while extracting maximum fat. You should have about 3 tablespoons of liquid gold in that pan. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Keep the drippings hot.

5. 5

   Build the warm vinaigrette

   With the pan still over medium heat, add the minced shallot to the hot bacon fat. Cook, stirring constantly, until softened and fragrant, about 1 minute. The shallot should sizzle but not brown. Remove pan from heat and let it cool for 30 seconds. This pause is critical: vinegar hitting screaming hot fat will vaporize and turn harsh.

   Off-heat emulsification is your friend. The residual warmth is enough to marry the ingredients without breaking the sauce.
6. 6

   Emulsify and season

   Add the vinegar, mustard, sugar, and salt to the pan. Whisk vigorously, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. The mustard acts as an emulsifier, binding the fat and acid into a cohesive dressing. It should look glossy and unified, not separated. Taste and adjust salt. The dressing should be bold, slightly too acidic on its own, because the spinach will temper it. Add a generous grinding of black pepper.

7. 7

   Dress the salad immediately

   Return the pan to low heat just until the dressing is hot again, about 30 seconds. You want it warm enough to wilt but not so hot it cooks the leaves. Pour the dressing over the spinach and mushrooms, add the reserved bacon, and toss quickly with tongs. Work fast. The leaves should soften slightly, losing their rigid posture while retaining their color. This takes about 20 seconds of tossing. Overdressed spinach turns to mush.

8. 8

   Plate and serve

   Divide the salad among four plates, making sure each portion gets its share of bacon and mushrooms. Halve the soft-boiled eggs lengthwise, revealing their jammy centers, and nestle two halves on each salad. Sprinkle with chives. Serve immediately. This is not a salad that waits. Within five minutes, the leaves will release their moisture and everything becomes a soggy memory.

   Warm your plates for 30 seconds in a low oven. Cold plates accelerate the dressing's cooling and rob the dish of its essential warmth.

Chef Tips

• •The bacon makes or breaks this salad. Seek out thick-cut slab bacon from a butcher, not the thin, rubbery strips from the supermarket. You need bacon that renders substantial fat and crisps into substantial pieces worth chewing.
• •Red wine vinegar provides the classic flavor, but sherry vinegar makes a worthy substitute with slightly rounder, nuttier notes. Avoid balsamic, which is too sweet and will compete with the egg yolk.
• •For a more composed dinner-party presentation, dress the spinach and divide it among plates before adding the eggs and bacon as individual garnishes. This gives guests the visual impact of the whole egg halves.
• •A light white wine or rosé stands up well here. The acidity mirrors the vinaigrette while the fruit complements the bacon's smoke. Avoid heavy reds that will overwhelm the salad's delicacy.

Advance Preparation

• •Eggs can be soft-boiled up to 2 days ahead and stored unpeeled in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before serving, or briefly dunk in warm water to take off the chill.
• •Spinach can be washed, dried, and stored in a paper towel-lined container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
• •Mushrooms can be sliced up to 4 hours ahead; toss with a squeeze of lemon to prevent browning and refrigerate covered.
• •Bacon can be rendered up to 1 hour ahead and kept at room temperature. Reserve the fat separately. Reheat both gently before building the vinaigrette.
• •The assembled salad cannot be made ahead. Dress and serve within 60 seconds of tossing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 240g)