Warm Spinach Salad

“Who doesn’t love bacon and eggs?” asks Executive Chef Matt Gordon rhetorically. At his new Sea & Smoke brasserie in Del Mar, he gives spinach a sweet and savory twist. “Plus,” he says, “you meet your salad quota while eating it.” Enjoy this with a warm baguette for an elegant lunch.

Warm Spinach Salad

Serves 1

For the vinaigrette:

1/2 c. natural bacon, chopped

2 shallots, roughly chopped

1/4 c. Dijon mustard

1/2 c. red wine vinegar

1/4 c. honey

1/4 t. ground black pepper

1 1/2 c. grapeseed or other light oil

For the salad:

1/2 c. chopped bacon, cooked

3-4 c. organic baby spinach (Bloomsdale

Savoy, if possible)

1/2 c. dried figs, quartered

1/4 c. shaved Parmesan

1 warm poached egg

Toss the bacon and shallots in a touch of oil and sauté until soft and hot. Add mustard, vinegar, honey and pepper and stir to combine. Let cool. Place cooled mixture in a blender. With the blender on high, add the oil in a slow, steady stream. The vinaigrette can be made in advance and stored up to five days in the refrigerator.

To make the salad, place 2 to 3 oz. of the vinaigrette and the bacon in a wok. Place on the stove over medium heat to warm. Add spinach and figs and toss for about 15 seconds until the spinach is wilting a bit. Transfer salad to a bowl, top with the shaved cheese and poached egg and serve immediately.

Suggested pairing: Billecart-Salmon Brut Reserve Champagne or other sparkling wine