I must preface this post by reaffirming the fact that I am not a salad person. Sure, I like the occasional meat-and-cheese-heavy taco salad and I heart salty, creamy, cheesy Caesar salads, but if you give me the choice between carbs and raw vegetables mixed with a healthy vinaigrette, I will choose carbs every time. I say this to drive home the point that it’s completely mind-boggling that I came home from New Orleans pining for not one, but two, salads. Yes, I was wowed by the beignets and the fried seafood sandwiches. But that’s to be expected. It was unexpected that one of the best meals I had was at an unassuming brassiere called Lüke that Alasdair suggested we stop into for a quick afternoon snack. We tried a bowl of their crab bisque, some raw oysters, and the slow poached yard egg salad with chicory, Allan Benton’s bacon and Creole mustard vinaigrette.

I know a salad seems like an unusual afternoon snack, especially for me, but all I could see were the words “slow poached yard egg” and “bacon.” My stomach was growling and those words were like flashing lights on the Vegas strip – they completed obliterated the word “salad.” I’m glad they did, otherwise, I may never have tried this amazing dish.

So, of course, I decided on the spot – just as I did with the shrimp Caesar salad – that I had to come home and recreate the poached egg salad. And I did. And it was wonderful. Seeing as how the salad was already pretty healthy, any swaps I made were for practicality reasons. I used diced pancetta in place of the thick bacon and arugula instead of chicory because my grocery store does not carry Allan Benton’s amazingly thick bacon or chicory. Also, the arugula is more substantial than the chicory so the salad becomes more of a meal. I also added some Pecorino-Romano – my favorite sheep’s milk cheese of the moment. This salad looks fancy but it could not have been easier to make. It’s perfect for brunch, lunch or dinner.

Healthy Recipe Ecstasy? Without a doubt. The creaminess of the poached egg yolk combines with the tanginess of the Creole mustard vinaigrette and the saltiness of the pancetta for a party in your mouth. It’s so good, never once did I miss bread. I would eat this for breakfast! And then again for lunch and dinner…. Also, the cheese can easily be left out for a completely dairy-free dish.