Flambe Spinach Salad
My dad has a way of cooking that delights the palate as well as the eye, especially when he uses fire as the highlight. When I asked for his “recipe”, he came up with this since he doesn’t use recipes, he creates as he goes. This flambe spinach salad is one of our favorites that really shows off your skills in the kitchen! Get ready for a show and then enjoy the fruits of your labor.
Video Overview
Ingredients and Preparation Instructions
One head of spinach per 1-2 people depending on if it is an entrée or side dish
Wash spinach thoroughly at least three times as it can be gritty and sandy
Use just the leaves and not the stems
Dry thoroughly before dressing, cut or tear into bite-size chunks
Keep cold in the refrigerator with a paper towel over it until ready to serve
Fry one pound/package of bacon until it is crispy
Drain and wrap cooked bacon in paper towels to absorb the grease
Save at least one to two TEAspoons of the bacon grease
When bacon is cooled down, crumble into small bits
5 hard-boiled eggs chopped
Separate shot or two of cognac or brandy for flambe’
One or two shots of cognac for cook along the way
Dressing:
- 4 tablespoons Olive Oil
- Juice of one lemon
- 2 tablespoons Dijon Mustard
- Three to four cloves pressed garlic
- 2 teaspoons of honey
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 shot of brandy or cognac
- 2 teaspoon of the bacon grease
Whisk all together and really press the garlic with a fork into the dressing so it becomes a part of the liquid
Add salt and pepper to mix after whisked
Sequence:
- Clean the frying pan you used for the bacon of excess fat
- Put all the bacon in a bunch in the middle of the pan and add more olive oil and high heat until the bacon is hot
- Pour cognac into the opposite end of fry pan holding away from you so you don’t burn your eyebrows off
- Light the cognac as soon as you hear the frizzle
- Stir the bacon around and let the flame die down
- As it does, pour the dressing into the pan and continue to stir until it starts to thicken and bubble
- Pour the dressing on the dry spinach in a big bowl, add the eggs and thoroughly coat all the spinach
- Salt and pepper to taste
Eat right away so you have the hot dressing and cold spinach experience
Drink the rest of the cognac
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