Recipes Inspired by the Mothers of Celebrity Chefs and Cookbook Authors

Frisee aux Lardons
By Chef Philippe Feret (more info)

• 6 bunches Italian frisee
• Garlic croutons
• 6 - 8 eggs, poached
• One-quarter lb. Chantal Cheese or similar cheeses like a Gruyere
• 16 slices bacon
• Lemon vinaigrette
• One half cup white vinegar
• One half tablespoon salt

Croutons:
• Baguette or Italian Bread for croutons, Slice on the bias, so they are 3 inches long
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• one quarter cup olive oil pinch of salt and pepper
• should make 18 to 24 croutons, 3 croutons per plate

Lemon Vinaigrette:
• 2 cups olive oil
• one quarter cup Dijon mustard
• one half cup fresh lemon juice and 1 Tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon salt
• one half teaspoon ground white pepper

2). Poach 6 - 8 eggs in pot of 4 cups of simmering water with one half cup white vinegar and one half tablespoon salt. Cook until yolk will still be runny.

3). Drop bacon in boiling water for 30 seconds and remove from liquid. Set aside. Dice into 1 inch pieces, then brown in pan and drain and discard fat.

4). For vinaigrette: In a mixing bowl add all ingredients except oil, whisk oil in slowly, add one half of mixture to bacon in pan off heat, incorporate with bacon.

5). Toss mixture with frisee. Separate into 6 - 8 portions. Add 3 croutons per dish posed with their three points touching over middle of plate and each crouton descending at a slant over the rest of the frisee. Shave cheese with a peeler with one piece over each crouton. Place one poached egg on top of each dish.

Philippe Feret was most recently chef at Windows on the World and Café Centro. He has also trained at top rated establishments in Paris including Le Taillevent, Le Prunier, and Le Doyen.