Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2007 Show: Good Eats Episode: American Classic I: Spinach Salad
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2007 Show: Good Eats Episode: American Classic I: Spinach Salad
- Carbohydrate 21.1978946216852 g
- Cholesterol 846 mg
- Fat 21.26260369002 g
- Fiber 7.43784189120707 g
- Protein 35.53395514758 g
- Saturated Fat 6.42236199553 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Recipe (651g)
- Sodium 3985.54445962865 mg
- Sugar 13.7600527304781 g
- Trans Fat 3.8524288003 g
- Calories 402 calories
Step-by-step
- Remove the stems from the spinach and wash, drain and pat dry thoroughly. Place into a large mixing bowl and set aside.
- Place the eggs into an electric kettle and cover with cold water by at least 1-inch. Turn the kettle on. Once the water comes to a boil, the kettle will turn itself off. Leave the eggs in the water for 15 minutes. Remove and peel off the shell. Slice each egg into 8 pieces and set aside.
- While the eggs are cooking, fry the bacon and remove to a paper towel to drain, reserving 3 tablespoons of the rendered fat. Crumble the bacon and set aside.
- Transfer the fat to a small saucepan set over low heat and whisk in the red wine vinegar, sugar and Dijon mustard. Season with a small pinch each of kosher salt and black pepper.
- Add the mushrooms and the sliced onion to the spinach and toss. Add the dressing and bacon and toss to combine. Divide the spinach between 4 plates or bowls and evenly divide the egg among them. Season with pepper, as desired. Serve immediately.
The Chemistry of Warm Fats on Raw Greens
Pouring hot liquid fat directly over tender leaves creates a specific culinary paradox where the dressing must wilt the exterior slightly without completely collapsing the cellular structure into a soggy mess. When rendered bacon fat hits cold red wine vinegar, sugar, and Dijon mustard in a warm saucepan, the mustard acts as an essential phospholipid emulsifier holding the water and oil phases together rather than letting them separate into a greasy puddle. Whisking this mixture continuously over low heat ensures the vinegar's acidity softens the harsh bite of raw red onion while coating the spinach leaves evenly enough to carry the smoke and salt.
Managing Temperature and Timing Ahead
Raw spinach greens possess high water content and delicate cell walls that will weep liquid if dressed and left sitting in the refrigerator for more than ten minutes. Preparing the components separately—hard-boiling the eggs, rendering the bacon, slicing the white mushrooms, and storing them in airtight containers for up to 24 hours—allows for rapid assembly without compromising texture. Reheat the reserved bacon fat gently over low heat just until liquefied before whisking in the acid, because boiling the vinegar will break the fragile emulsion and scorch the mustard solids.
Scaling Proportions for Different Yields
Doubling or tripling this preparation requires careful attention to the volume of rendered fat, since scaling up linear measurements does not always translate directly to surface-area coverage on leafy greens. Four large white mushrooms and eight ounces of young spinach provide a sturdy bulk ratio that absorbs exactly three tablespoons of rendered bacon fat without becoming oversaturated, meaning cooks multiplying the servings must scale the vinegar and mustard proportionally while judging the final oil absorption by eye.
