Recipe: Satisfying Spinach Salad

Last night, still full from our Vietnamese lunch, the idea of a full meal was a bit daunting. Earlier that day, we went to the public market and bought a piece of chilean sea bass, thinking I would create a dish for the evening's main course, along with my spinach salad as the starter. In the end, we nixed the fish, reserving it for tonight (the sea bass will be served with sautéed chard, roma tomato carpaccio and a simple, tangy tomato broth). Last night was also snowy and cold and we enjoyed the salad with a vintage merlot, which paired well with the saltiness of the pancetta.

The key to the salad is using fantastic balsamic vinegar. It is essential. We have a bottle of 25-year old balsamico from Fish Creek Oilerie. If it's not possible to obtain this type of vinegar, a bit of sugar will somewhat do the trick.

Here's the recipe for my spinach salad, for 2 people:

2 oz. pancetta, cooked until crispy, drained on paper towels and chopped fairly finely

1/4 red onion, sliced thinly

a few handfuls of baby spinach, about half a package

1 TB shredded parmesan cheese

2 TBSPs balsamic vinegar

1/3 c extra virgin olive oil

If using grocery store vinegar, add 2 tsps sugar

1 hard-boiled egg, cut into quarters, seasoned with salt and pepper

Assemble salad in a bowl by mixing the first 4 ingredients (pancetta, onion, spinach and cheese). Whisk together the vinegar and olive oil (and sugar, if using). Drizzle into salad bowl and toss. Portion onto plates and place two quarters of the egg per person onto the side.

Enjoy with a warmed batard and butter and a glass of wine!