Poached Eggs with Spinach Salad

Ever since I tasted my very first chicken egg, real chicken egg, you know the one that came from the extremely happy chicken that had been wandering around someone's yard eating bugs and leaves and all sorts of happy things, I have been in LOVE with eggs. The difference between the icky pale yolk of a store bought egg and the beautiful dark orange yolk of a really free range chicken is almost unbelievable.

Seriously, if you can, get yourself some happy chickens and keep them in your back yard - you won't regret it.

We have 20 chickens - well, we did have 20 chickens - we are going to be eating some of the roosters here real soon. The 10 that were old enough to lay have been rather stingy, we only were get 2 or 3 eggs a day. Yesterday we got 6!! Yahoo! I hope this keeps up. If I make eggs for breakfast we go through a dozen.

Today I decided to steal poach one of those eggs. You know in order to poach it -bwhaha I am funny. Get it? Poach an egg to poach? oh, NOT as funny as I thought, oh well.

Poached Egg with Spinach Salad
About 4 cups of baby spinach, rinsed and dried
8 bacon slices, cut into small pieces (1/2/" or so) (save 3 TBS of the grease when rendered)
3 TBS red wine vinegar
Either 1 tsp sugar or 1 TBS honey
1 tsp dijon mustard
Sea Salt, Fresh - ground pepper
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 eggs

Cook bacon in a small heavy pan (I use my iron skillet) over medium heat, until brown and rendered, but not crisp.  Remove from pan. Pour off fat and reserve.
To make the dressing, mix together: 3 TBS red wine vinegar, 1 tsp mustard, honey, salt, pepper, and the crushed garlic. Then whisk in the bacon fat. Taste to see if more salt is needed.
For the eggs, fill a heavy saucepan with 4 cups of water and add 1 1/2 TBS red wine vinegar. Heat to just below a simmer and slide in the 2 eggs (cracked) Poach for 3 1/2- 4 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove them. Keep warm. Put the vinaigrette into a large bowl (remove the crushed garlic) add the bacon. Put the bowl over the pan of hot water to warm. Add the spinach and toss well. Divide among 2 warm plates. Gently blot the eggs dry, and put one egg on top of each salad. Grind a little pepper over the top and serve immediately.

Look at the color and richness of that yolk!

I wilted my spinach a bit because spinach is better for you cooked. There is oxalic acid present in raw spinach and it blocks the absorption of calcium and iodine. Mildly cooking spinach neutralizes the malevolent acid.  Plus I just prefer spinach lightly cooked!

This is easily made for a quick dinner, and is easily doubled. (there is plenty of dressing)

You can use lots of other greens - endive is wonderful, escarole, dandelion greens or a radicchios.
It is also great topped with homemade croutons (garlic flavored) that have had a little of the bacon dressing poured over.
I think toasted walnuts would be great with this also.

I am linking this to Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays @ Simply Sugar and Gluten Free and  Tuesday Night Supper Club @ fudgeripple.