When Andy White took over the kitchen at The Tap Room last fall, his goal was to give the menu a shot in the arm. He’s done just that, and now old beer hall favorites mingle comfortably with bistro fare like the Poached Egg Salad, White’s twist on the age-old Frisée aux Lardons, where salty lardons, briny pickled onions, kicky cracked-mustard vinaigrette and rich egg yolk combine with crunchy frisée for a taste of spring.
– Katie O’Connor
Poached Egg Salad
Courtesy of The Tap Room’s Andy White
2 servings
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. grain mustard
½ tsp. dry mustard
1 Tbsp. white balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp. champagne vinegar
1 shallot, diced
4 small red potatoes, boiled and quartered
4 oz. pancetta, diced
¼ cup olive oil
Pinch sugar
Salt and pepper
2 small handfuls clean frisée
½ cup pickled red onion (recipe follows)
1 Tbsp. white vinegar (for poaching)
2 eggs
• Combine the mustards, balsamic and champagne vinegars, and shallot in a bowl and let stand for 30 minutes.
• Boil the potatoes, unpeeled, until they are just tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and let cool, then quarter the potatoes.
• In a medium skillet over moderate heat, cook the pancetta until brown and crisp; drain on a paper towel.
• Slowly whisk the olive oil into the mustard mixture. Adjust the seasoning to taste with sugar, salt and pepper.
• Place the frisée, potatoes, pancetta and pickled onion in a small mixing bowl. Dress with the cracked mustard vinaigrette, toss and portion the salad onto room-temperature plates.
• Poach the eggs until the whites are just set but the yolks are still runny, 1 to 3 minutes. Place one on top of each salad.
• Season with salt and pepper, and serve.
Pickled Red Onions
Courtesy of The Tap Room’s Andy White
3 cups red wine vinegar
2 cups red wine
2 cups water
½ cup red port
½ cup sugar
1 Tbsp. salt
¼ cup pickling spice
2 red onions, peeled and sliced thin
• Combine all the ingredients except the onions in a pot and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and let steep for 1 hour.
• Place the sliced onions in a large bowl. Strain the pickling liquid over the onions.
• Return the onions and liquid to the pot and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and cover with a clean cloth or a plate. Allow to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate.
• The onions will be ready to use in three days.
This article appears in Apr 1-30, 2009.