-
Separate the salad into
individual leaves. Wash and then shake off the excess water (if
you have a salad spinner, that is even better).
-
Place the
leaves on the plates (each person gets a prepared salad plate,
rather than serving themselves from a communal salad bowl).
-
Hard-boil the eggs (about 8
minutes). Then peel and quarter them. Place on top of the salad
leaves.
-
While
the eggs are boiling, cut the tomatoes and place them on top of
the leaves. Cherry tomatoes should be cut in half, ordinary
tomatoes should be cored and cut in quarters.
-
Fry
the chicken livers in a small amount of oil (just enough oil so
that the livers don't stick to the pan). Place them on the
salad.
-
Fry
the bacon pieces in a non-stick pan (without oil) on medium-high
heat until they are crispy. Discard the fat and distribute the
cooked bacon bits over the salad.
-
Serve
immediately. The salad dressing should be placed on the table so
each guest can add themselves.
There are a number of variations
of this recipe. The key ingredients are: salad, poultry
(chicken, duck or goose) livers, eggs, tomatoes, and a suitable
dressing. Some variations of the recipes may have additional
ingredients (such as maize / corn).
Unlike some recipes, the exact
amount or ratios of the ingredients in this recipe are flexible.
You can have more or less of any of the individual ingredients,
depending on individual preference.
This dish is intended to be
served hot. So, once you start to cook the livers and bacon, you
need to ensure that the guests are ready to sit at the table, so
that when everything is ready the salad can be served before the
livers and bacon become cold.
If you don't have a package of 'lardons',
you can take ordinary bacon and cut it into small pieces (about
a half-centimeter cube) to make the bacon pieces.
As this recipe has both meat
(livers) and eggs, it makes a very substantial salad. If your
guests are not big eaters or if you have a multi-course meal
planned, you may wish to reduce the ingredient amounts.
Otherwise, your guests may not have enough appetite for the
remaining courses!! Alternatively, you can increase the amounts
and make the salad the main course (I personally like to do this
when I feel like a quick and relatively light meal).
This recipe is from the Bresse
region of France (in the south of Burgundy). The Bresse region
is known for its fowl, in particular for its chickens, which are
considered the best in France (they have their own AOC !!) and probably the best in the
world. The Bresse chickens are so important to this region of
France, both in financial terms and gastronomic pride, that the
chicken is the symbol of this area. Consequently, it is not
surprising that the local salad features both chicken livers and
eggs.
As people and things specific to
the Bresse region are known as 'Bressane', the salad is known as
Bressane Salad (in French: 'Salade Bressane' or "Salade a la
Bressane').
