Don’t be intimidated!  Rack of lamb is certainly a beautiful and “royal” looking dish, however truth be told, the oven does most of the work.  More on that in a few…but first, let’s get started with one of my favorite things…arugula!

Take Me Right To Part II: The Entree!

1st Course:  Arugula Salad with a Bacon – Bleu Cheese Vinaigrette and Slow Poached Egg

Couple things to note:    First of all, if you happen not to be a fan of arugula, in most of my dishes, spinach could be substituted with no problem (I just prefer the peppery flavor of arugula personally).  Secondly, one of the conscious efforts I do make to balance my diet is to be somewhat “in the know” about what it is I’m cooking and ultimately ingesting.  That being said, I happen to know that rack of lamb is high in fat and cholesterol.  This is not all bad as most of the fat in a rack of lamb is unsaturated (good fat) and it also contains a ton of protein.  Knowing this information, I will probably tend to focus on vegetables for the rest of the dish(es) I’m preparing for this meal; thus the “balance”.

The Goods (per salad / person):

1. Arugula (handful)
2. Shallot (1 Tbsp chopped)
3. Lemon (Juice of 1/2)
4. Bleu Cheese (1 Tbsp)
5. Bacon (1 slice – cut into small strips {lardons})
6. Egg (1)
7. White wine

Fill a small pot 3/4 full of water and set over high heat.  Once this comes to a boil, you will poach your egg.  Now grab a medium to large pan.

Add your bacon to your pan over medium heat.  Allow the bacon to cook up and the fat to render out (this will provide the backbone of the dressing for your arugula salad).  Once the bacon has cooked (not cripsy), add your chopped shallots and add your bleu cheese and toss around vigorously in order to allow the shallots to “sweat” (not carmelize!) and the bleu cheese to begin to melt, without cooking to the pan.  Add a healthy splash of white wine to the pan and then add your lemon juice.  Allow this to reduce down for a bit.

Once it’s reduced down to a fairly runny sauce (remember it’s your salad dressing), take it off the heat.  When your water is boiling, turn it down slightly and drop your egg in (poaching takes about 3 minutes).

At this point, throw your arugula into the dressing pan (again, off the heat!  You do NOT want to wilt the arugula…this is just a “warm” salad).  Toss it together with tongs and plate in your bowl.  Place your poached egg on top.  Season with sea salt and cracked black pepper.

I recommend cutting your poached egg vigorously and tossing the egg into the salad…this adds another dimension of flavor to the whole mixture.  [As an aside, if you are watching your cholesterol, please remember that the rack of lamb is already high in it, so as much as it pains me to say this….you may want to skip the poached egg here]