Frisee with Hot Bacon Dressing

Frisee is a leafy green related to endive and chicory that has a slightly bitter flavor.  It's high is manganese and beta carotene, and it's super high in vitamin k.  I've long been a fan of its flavor, but not so much a fan of its texture, until I paired it with hot bacon dressing.  The heat of the dressing wilts and softens the frisee, and the sweet, tangy dressing compliments the bitter greens beautifully.  I hope you'll give this recipe a try.  Here's how it's made.

Start with frisee that has been washed, dried, and torn.  I was able to find both green and red frisee at my grocery store and I love the mix of colors so here I've put 6 ounces in a large bowl.

Next, I browned 6 ounces of thick bacon over medium heat.  I cut the bacon into bite-size pieces and cooked it, stirring frequently, until it was nice and toasty and most of the fat was rendered.  

Remove the cooked bacon from the rendered bacon fat (drippings); reserve the fat.

While the rendered fat is still hot, make the dressing.

Measure out some rendered bacon fat.  You probably won't use all the fat from the pan so pour the leftovers into a jar and store it in the fridge - we use it to saute vegetables, make eggs, etc.

Add red wine vinegar.  Oh how I love this stuff.

Add salt, pepper, and a touch of sugar.

Whisk everything together until the salt and sugar dissolve, then pour over the frisee and add the cooked bacon.  Toss well and serve immediately.

This salad is best served warm, so only make as much as you plan to serve in one sitting.  

Enjoy!

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• my favorite measuring spoons https://amzn.to/2xUyAGL

• French whisk https://amzn.to/2Wnd9HM

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Frisee with Hot Bacon Dressing

makes 4 servings

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 6 ounces frisee, washed, dried, and torn

• 6 ounces thickly sliced bacon, cut into bite-size pieces

• 2 tablespoons hot rendered bacon fat

• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar

• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Place frisee in a large bowl.

2. In a skillet over medium heat, brown bacon; remove from pan and reserve rendered fat.

3. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together rendered bacon fat, red wine vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper; pour over frisee, add cooked bacon, toss well, and serve immediately.

Asparagus Salad with Balsamic Dressing

Nine times out of ten, I prepare fresh asparagus by roasting it in a hot oven, but every now and then I'll do something a little different.  This week I made a colorful salad with a really delicious balsamic dressing.  Truth be known, the dressing is the real star of the show here.  Use it as a dip on a crudite platter. 

Trim and discard the woody ends of the asparagus, then cut the spears into 1 1/2 or 2-inch lengths.

Also needed, sliced almonds and chopped bell peppers.  I used a mix of red, yellow, and orange bell peppers.

The delicious dressing is made of dijon mustard, really good quality balsamic vinegar, dried marjoram, olive oil, granulated garlic, and kosher salt.

Combine the ingredients together with a teeny tiny whisk.  I like things that are teeny tiny.

Okay, time to blanch the asparagus.  To do this, place the asparagus in a pot of boiling salted water for just a few minutes.  They should soften a little, but still retain some crispness, and their color should remain bright green.   

Immediately remove the asparagus from the boiling water and plunge them into ice water to stop the cooking process and lock in that vibrant color.

When the asparagus has cooled completely, drain it well.

Place the drained asparagus on a clean kitchen towel.

Pat the asparagus dry and toss with chopped bell peppers and balsamic dressing. Place on serving platter and sprinkle with sliced almonds.  

Asparagus Salad with Balsamic Dressing

makes 4 servings

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 tablespoons very good quality balsamic vinegar

• 1 1/2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil

• 1/2 tablespoon dijon mustard

• 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram

• 1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic powder

• 1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces

• 1/2 cup diced bell pepper (red, orange, or yellow)

• 2 tablespoons sliced almonds, optional

Directions

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the balsamic, olive oil, dijon, marjoram, and garlic powder; set aside.

2. In a large sauce pan, bring 4 cups of water and a healthy pinch of salt to a boil.

3. Cook asparagus pieces for 3-4 minutes until crisp-tender; remove from pan and cool in ice water bath to stop the cooking process.

4. Drain asparagus and pat dry; place on a serving platter and drizzle with balsamic dressing before topping with diced bell peppers and almonds.