This hearty salad is one of my favourite starters, and also makes a great light meal. I became addicted to it on a trip to Lyon where I had an excellent Salade Lyonnaise at the bouchon La Meunière. As with all simple recipes, there’s a trick or two that take it from good to great, like using the fat rendered from the speck to make the warm mustardy dressing. You should also only use the smallest, tender leaves of the frisée (also called curly endive), saving the rest for something else, like escarole frittata. If you’re ordering this in Lyon, don’t confuse it with the much more substantial Saladier Lyonnais, often served as a succession of dishes involving sheep’s trotters, chicken livers and pickled herrings. I like a rich white Rhône grape with this, such as roussanne or marsanne, La Petite Mort’s barrel-fermented marsanne works especially well. Use a slightly sweet (agrodolce) vinegar for the mustard dressing, nothing too sharp; Banyuls or a good Sherry vinegar work well, as does ALTO Olive’s delicious merlot vinegar.
Serves 2 (or 4 as a starter with 2 extra eggs)
Mustard Dressing
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