Food for thought
Frisée Salad
with Lardons and Poached Egg
Ingredients:
- About three ½ inch-thick slices of good French or Italian Bread, crusts removed and cut into 1-inch squares to make croutons
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- Kosher Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 slices of thick-cut bacon, cut crosswise into ¼ inch sticks
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 medium shallot, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon white or white wine vinegar
- 4 eggs
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 heads of frisée (curly endive), outer leaves and tough core removed, remaining leaves separated and washed and dried well
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Directions
- Heat the oven to 350°.
- Toss the croutons with the olive oil on a sided baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Toast, turning once, until golden brown on both sides, about 10 minutes.
- Cook the bacon in a skillet over low heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp. Lift the bacon out of the pan with a slotted spoon and drain it on paper towels. Reserve the bacon fat and keep it warm.
- In a small bowl, combine the mustard, shallot, garlic, thyme, and red wine vinegar.
- Bring about 2 quarts water to a boil in a saucepan. Add the white vinegar and lower the heat to a steady simmer. Break each egg into a small cup or ramekin. Fill a medium bowl with warm water and position it near the pot. Gently slide each egg into the saucepan of simmering water by bringing the small cup close to the water’s surface and letting the egg slide out. Adjust the heat to just under a boil. Cook the eggs until the whites are cooked and the yolks are just set, about 4 minutes. Lift the eggs out of the cooking water with a slotted spoon and place them in the bowl of warm water. The eggs will stay warm in this water for a few minutes but will not overcook.
- Whisk the extra virgin olive oil and about 2 tablespoons of the warm bacon fat into the shallot-vinegar mixture until the fats are incorporated and an emulsion forms. Put the frisée and the croutons in a large bowl and toss with enough vinaigrette to coat lightly. (You should have at least 2 tablespoons left over.) Divide the frisée and the croutons among four plates.
- Lift the eggs out of the warm water with a slotted spoon, let them drain briefly, and trim off any straggly ends. Put an egg on top of the greens on each plate and sprinkle each salad with some bacon pieces and the parsley. Drizzle the remaining dressing over each salad and serve immediately.
Local Ingredients
At Hamersley’s Bistro we attempt to use local ingredients whenever possible. These are some of our long time friends we showcase in the restaurant.
Steve, Joan and Jennifer Verrill grow most of our vegetables during the summer. Verrill Farms is located in Concord.
Ellery Kimball is a young farmer who works a small number of organic acres in Lincoln called Blue Heron Farm.
Pat and Barb Woodbury own Woodbury’s Clams in Wellfleet. They have been growing clams for us for 20 years.
Stu Cohen forages for wild mushrooms in western Massachusetts.
Pio Angellini grows the best berries in the state.
During the summer season, Massachusetts fishermen are allowed to harvest 750,000 pounds of beautiful striped bass from our shores.
Verrill Farm
Growers of fine quality produce
Regional Specialty Foods Market
Seasonal Heirloom Vegetables
Gourmet Kitchen & Bakery
Family owned and operated since 1918
Barbara Hoefer
11 Wheeler Rd.
Concord, MA 01742
T 978.369.4494
F 978.318.0300
www.verrillfarm.com
Blue Heron Organic Farm
Ellery Kimball, Farmer
Blue Heron Organic Farm
PO Box 67
Lincoln, MA 01773
T 781.254.3727
www.blueheronfarmlincoln.com
