 "My
dad grew beautiful spinach in his garden. My mother
would "wilt" it with hot bacon dressing. As a
child, I could not understand this and I hated both…the
spinach and the idea of hot bacon grease drizzled over
top of it. Today, it is one of my favorite salads…a
classic on most menus. I must now admit, my mother knew
what she was doing!"
Wilted Spinach Salad with Polenta
Makes four servings
1 pound of fresh baby spinach leaves
4 hard boiled eggs*
8 pieces of thick sliced bacon
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
Clean the spinach leaves and remove the stems. Cook
and prepare the hard boiled eggs; peel and quarter them
lengthwise. In a large frying pan cook the bacon over a
medium flame, taking care not to burn the bacon grease.
When the bacon is cooked crisp, remove the pieces and
drain them on paper towels. To the hot bacon grease add
the vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper. Adjust the flavors
to your liking( more sugar if you like it sweeter, etc.)
Simmer the dressing it for a few minutes. Remove from
the heat, but keep the dressing warm.
Polenta
1/one pound, 3 inch round, pre-packaged tube of corn
meal mush
1 32 ounce jar of tomato/basil sauce (your own or
purchased)
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
˝ cup oil
In a large frying pan heat the oil until hot. Slice
the cornmeal mush into ˝ inch slices.
Pat dry. Carefully place as many slices in a single
layer into the hot oil and cook until they become brown
around the edges. Turn once and cook the other side.
Remove them from the oil when they are heated through,
and drain them on a paper towel. Keep them warm. Heat
sauce.
Assembly: Arrange the spinach leaves on one side of
the dinner plate. In an overlapping and curving pattern,
arrange four polenta rounds on the other side of the
plate. Drizzle the polenta rounds with sauce and
sprinkle them with cheese. Drizzle the spinach salad
with hot bacon dressing. Place the bacon and eggs
decoratively on top of the salad.
*Check out my "Ask the
Chef" page for directions on the "perfect
hard boiled egg". |
