Author Notes: This is a very loose adaptation of Mark Bittman’s recipe for salade lyonnaise. I loved the idea of a poached egg on top of a salad, but the traditional bacon and frisee lettuce didn’t appeal to me. Instead, I cut oyster mushrooms into teeny pieces and fry them until golden, then poach a couple of eggs and make a warm vinaigrette with shallot, rice vinegar, and Dijon mustard. Then the whole thing goes on a plate of basil and mizuna–a Japanese green, the kind you sometimes see on sushi platters. It’s delicate and slightly peppery, and I love it in this salad. Serve this with crusty bread, or be prepared to lick the plate–the tangy vinaigrette mixed with the gooey egg yolk is absolute heaven. —ieatthepeach
Makes: 2 entree-sized salads
Ingredients
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6
ounces mizuna, washed and thoroughly dried
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1
cup packed fresh basil leaves
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1/4
cup olive oil, divided
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6
ounces oyster mushrooms, finely diced
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1
medium shallot, thinly sliced
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2
tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar, or to taste
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2
teaspoons Dijon mustard, or to taste
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Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
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2 large eggs
Directions
- Chop the mizuna into bite-sized pieces, and chiffonade or chop the basil. (You should end up with about 5 cups of greens, total.) Toss to combine, and set aside.
- In a large skillet, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, or until golden and crisp all over. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
- While the mushrooms cook, bring a large saucepan of water to a bare simmer.
- Reduce the heat under the skillet to medium and add the remaining 3 tbsp oil. Add shallot and saute for 1 minute, or until translucent. Add vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper, and heat just until the vinegar bubbles. Turn the heat to low and keep the dressing warm.
- While the vinaigrette cooks, add a large pinch of salt to the simmering water, then gently crack in the eggs. Poach for 3-4 minutes, or until the whites are set but the yolks are still runny.
- Divide the greens between two serving plates. Distribute the mushrooms evenly between the two plates, then pour over the vinaigrette from the pan. Remove the eggs from the water with a slotted spoon, carefully draining off as much water as possible, and transfer 1 egg to each plate. Season the tops of the eggs with pepper. Serve immediately, with hunks of crusty bread for mopping up the dressing.
