Enjoy spinach salad with a warm bacon dressing
My German mother-in-law, Clara, did not like bottled salad dressings. Whenever she made a salad, iceberg lettuce was the base. Maybe a bit of chopped celery on top.
Dressing was simple: sugar and cider vinegar. Clara would put a couple pinches of sugar on each serving and top it with a splash of vinegar.
Now, every once in a while she’d make a warm bacon salad dressing. If I remember correctly, she’d fry the bacon, set it aside, then stir cider vinegar, sugar and a little water into the drippings.
Well, I’ve taken Clara’s warm bacon dressing recipe and augmented it with Dijon mustard and red onion. Adding those ingredients elevated the dressing to restaurant quality.
As far as the salad, spinach is in season and a classic with warm bacon dressing, so that’s what I used today.
Depending upon the type of bacon, you may get less, or more, drippings. Extra drippings can be refrigerated. If you don’t have enough, add a little oil or even water. You can cut up the bacon before or after frying.
Go to taste on the salad and dressing ingredients. You’ve got lots of leeway so a little more or less of any ingredient is OK. Even the eggs and mushrooms are “extra,” so no worries if you don’t have those on hand.
For the dressing: 1⁄4 cup bacon drippings
⁄3 cup or so very thinly sliced or diced 1 red onion
1⁄4 cup cider vinegar 2 tablespoons sugar 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Fry bacon, drain on paper towels. Set aside. Measure out 1⁄4 cup drippings and put back in skillet. You can refrigerate any leftover drippings.
Over low heat, let the drippings get hot, then add onions and cook just for a couple of minutes. They will get a bit soft, but don’t let them get brown.
Whisk together drippings and onions with the vinegar mixture. This is your warm dressing.
Taste for seasonings. Extra dressing can be refrigerated, but warm up before using.
Tips:
Sub in honey for sugar. Since honey is sweeter than sugar, you’ll need less. Start with 11⁄2 tablespoons honey.
We like red onion since it’s more mild. Any onion will work, so use what you have. Even sliced green onions are tasty.
Fry bacon ahead. Yes, you can, just rewarm bacon and drippings before proceeding with recipe.