Ingredients
- 2 cups baby spinach leaves, trimmed of excess stem
- 2 cups crunchy salad leaves, (the heart of curly endive is the best, next comes sliced witlof, then maybe the inner leaves of cos)
- 2 x 5mm thick sliced belly bacon
- 2 slices sourdough or other substantial bread
- 1 clove garlic
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tsp red wine vinegar
- 4 large free-range eggs
- freshly ground pepper
Method
Heat an oven to 100C.
Wash and trim the salad greens. Spin dry gently. Line a clean tea towel with a long piece of kitchen paper and tip the prepared greens onto the paper. Wrap into a loose parcel and refrigerate to crisp, until needed.
Warm 4 serving plates in the oven.Cut the bacon into little sticks. Rub the bread lightly with the cut garlic clove. Tear the bread into rough 1cm croutons. Film a nonstick pan with water and drop in the bacon. Saute over moderate heat so that the fat starts to run and each little bacon stick starts to colour and crisp a little. Scoop bacon from the pan with a slotted spoon and transfer to the warm oven.
Add half the olive oil to the same pan and saute the bread until golden on all sides. Remove to the warm oven. Push the pan to one side but do not wash it.
Bring a pot of lightly salted water to the boil and poach the eggs until just set. If the pan is not wide enough to poach all at the same time, you will have to poach them in batches, scoop them out and let them sit in a bowl of warm water.
Now divide the greens between the four warm plates. Scatter over the croutons and bacon. Place a poached egg on top of each salad.
Quickly reheat the frying-pan, add the remainder of the olive oil and the vinegar, stir with a spoon and divide this dressing between the salads.
Grind over some pepper and serve at once.
This recipes is featured in the book, Autumn which is available now in all good bookstores RRP $34.95. To order direct call 1300 656 059 or visit www.smh.com.au/store
