WHETHER Lyon ever was the gastronomic capital of France is debatable,
but it sure has spawned some great dishes, including salade Lyonnaise,
not the most simple salad ever made but one that approaches perfection
in a way others do not. The combination of bitter greens
(traditionally frisée, though escarole, dandelion, and arugula all
work beautifully), crisp bacon, barely cooked eggs and warm
vinaigrette is really unbeatable.

This is obviously a bit of work, but all of it is dead easy,
especially once you master the egg poaching. There are a number of
ways to do this, and most work as long as you don’t start with
fiercely boiling water.

The water, salted, should be barely simmering. Crack the eggs
individually into a small bowl before slipping them gently into the
water. Let sit for three or four minutes, or until the whites barely
solidify and the yolks remain as runny as possible. (Trust me on this:
if you let the yolk harden even the slightest bit, you’ll be missing
out on perhaps the most pleasurable aspect of the dish.)

That’s it. Fresh eggs are easier to work with — and better tasting —
because the whites won’t spread out much in the water. (If they do,
you can sort of gather them back toward the nucleus of each egg with a
spoon, but I think this is a waste of time.) Some people think that
adding vinegar to the water helps the whites coagulate, but I’ve never
found that to be true.

You don’t have to eat the salad the second the eggs are done — you can
reheat poached eggs in barely simmering water, or serve them at room
temperature — but there’s no reason not to. Toss the greens with the
warm dressing and bacon and top each serving with a well-drained egg.
Break the egg immediately and mix it in with the salad; it will
combine with the vinaigrette to coat everything beautifully.

The overall effect — fatty, sharp, sour, meaty and creamy — is a
transporting experience, one you need not go to Lyon to enjoy.