SPINACH SALAD WITH WARM BACON DRESSING
One of my favorite salads to consume and to serve at John Palmer’s Bistro 44 is the Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing. It’s the perfect combination of sweet and salty dressing, crunchy greens, creamy hard eggs, feta cheese and bitter red onions. I have been making this classic for years and thought I would share my recipe with my neighbors.
WARM BACON DRESSING–SERVES 6
6 Strips of thick cut, Maple Smoked Bacon (just my preference)
1 Shallot, sliced thinly
.25 Cups sugar
.5 Cups rice wine vinegar (cider vinegar works or sherry vinegar is fine)
Salt and pepper to taste
1) Stack the bacon strips and slice into about .25-inch pieces
2) Render the bacon, nice and slow
3) Add the shallots and sauté
4) When the bacon is almost crisp, add the sugar and turn off the heat.
5) Wisk in the vinegar. Taste.
6) Adjust with salt and pepper. Reserve in a warm place until ready to serve.
Hard Boil 6 Eggs: Tip: It is preferred to use eggs that have been in the fridge for a week or so. They peel more easily. Also, place the eggs in a stockpot and cover them with water about an inch above the eggs. Bring to a boil, remove from the heat and cover the pot with a lid for 10-12 minutes. Then put the eggs in an ice bath for 10 minutes. Peel the eggs under cold water. This works!
The last component is the sliced red onion: Simply remove the stem and blossom, Stand the onion on one of those flat surface cuts and cut it in half. Remove the skin and slice.
Pick a cheese. This is great with blue cheese, feta, brie, boursin—something creamy.
To Assemble.
1) Take 2 pounds of spinach, place it in a mixing bowl and set it aside in a warm spot. Not hot. You want to take the chill off the green.
2) I like cutting the eggs in quarters and placing a piece on each quarter of the salad plate. You could certainly just chop or slice the eggs.
3) With your place on the counter ready, stir the dressing and begin to dress the greens. It’s important to dress the bowl and toss the greens into the dressing. Mix in a little at a time. The greens may not need all the dressing.
4) When you like what you see, plate the greens.
5) Add the cheese and the onion.
6) Serve.
Note: This salad is great as an entree. You could add salmon, shrimp, tuna, chicken or beef if you like.
Note 2: It’s important not to “overdress” this salad. The warm dressing will wilt the greens naturally, so just a light toss of the dressing is all it takes.
Compliments of Chef John and Michelle De Joy, Owners of John Palmer’s Bistro 44, in Concord, Ohio, and currently Saraceno residents.
