Wilted Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing
                            (by America's Test Kitchen)

—a sizzling salad!

This salad comes together quickly, so have the ingredients ready before you begin cooking and completely read this recipe.

Yield

Serves 4 to 6 as a first course.

Ingredients

  6 oz baby spinach (about 8 cups)
  3 tbsp cider vinegar
  ½ tsp sugar
  ¼ tsp ground black pepper
  Pinch salt
  10 oz thick-cut bacon (about 8 slices), cut into ½-inch pieces
  ½ medium red onion, chopped medium (about ½ cup)
  1 small clove garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about ½ teaspoon)
  3 hard-boiled eggs (recipe follows), peeled and quartered lengthwise

Method

1. Place the spinach, washed and dried, in a large bowl.

2. Stir the vinegar, sugar, pepper, and salt together in a small bowl until the sugar dissolves; set aside.

3. Fry the bacon in a medium skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 10 minutes.

4. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels. Pour the bacon fat into a bowl, then return 3 tablespoons bacon fat to the skillet.

5. Add the onion to the skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add the vinegar mixture, then remove the skillet from the heat.

6. Working quickly for the rest of the steps here, scrape the fond from the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon to loosen the browned bits.

7. Pour the hot dressing over the spinach, add the bacon, and toss gently until the spinach is slightly wilted.

Divide the salad among individual plates, arrange the egg quarters over each, and serve immediately. Waiting longer will wilt the salad into breakfast mush.