Frisee Salad with Bacon and Poached Egg

The actual name of this variety:
Tres Fine Maraichere Olesh Endive

Farming is nothing if not a continuous learning experience, so imagine our delight when we learned that (apparently, knock on wood) groundhogs aren't particularly interested in endive!  This is a wonderful main-dish salad, especially for breakfast.  And a little secret: if you're not feeling up to poaching an egg, over-easy or soft-boiled work just as well.  Probably not as French, though...

FRISEE SALAD WITH LARDONS AND POACHED EGGS (SALAD LYONNAISE)
from Gourmet magazine, via smittenkitchen.com

makes 4 servings

1/2 pound frisee (curly endive)
6 ounces slab bacon or thick-cut bacon slices
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
4 large eggs
2 tablespoons chopped shallot
3 tablespoons red-wine vinegar

Tear frisee into bite-size pieces and put in a large bowl. If using slab bacon, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Cut bacon slices crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick sticks (lardons).

In a heavy skillet cook bacon over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden and remove skillet from heat.

Farm eggs might
work well here...

Have ready another skillet with 1 inch warm water. Half-fill a 4-quart saucepan with water and stir in white vinegar. Bring liquid to a bare simmer. Break each egg into a teacup. Slide 1 egg into simmering liquid and immediately push white around yolk with a slotted spoon, moving egg gently. (Egg will become oval, with yolk completely covered by white.) Add remaining 3 eggs in same manner. Simmer eggs about 1 1/2 minutes for runny yolks to about 3 minutes for firm yolks. Immediately transfer eggs to skillet of warm water.

Reheat bacon in its skillet over moderate heat. Add shallot and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add red-wine vinegar and boil 5 seconds. Immediately pour hot dressing over frisee and toss with salt and pepper to taste.

Divide salad among 4 plates and top with drained poached eggs. Season eggs with salt and pepper and serve salad immediately.