Greens and Peas Salad with Bacon

Yield: 6 servings

Total time: 40 minutes

This salad has all the snappy sweetness of spring, offset by the smoky saltiness of bacon and a bacon fat vinaigrette. Black pepper is a key ingredient, not an accent, so grind on. Bacon fat sets as it cools, so make the dressing when the bacon pan is still warm, and if you’re making it in advance, make sure it’s just warmer than room temperature. If you store it in a jar, sit the jar in a hot water bath to melt the fat before dressing the salad. Also make sure that your salad ingredients are room temperature, rather than cold, when you dress. To make this salad vegetarian, leave out the bacon and replace the bacon fat in the dressing with olive oil.

4 heads Little Gem lettuce or 2 heads romaine, at room temperature 8 ounces sugar snap peas, at room temperature

1⁄4 packed cup mint leaves, at room temperature 12 ounces thick-cut

bacon, sliced into

1⁄2-inch pieces 1 tablespoon red

wine vinegar 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 tablespoon extravirgin olive oil Salt and black

pepper

1⁄ cup grated Parmesan

2 (4 ounces)

Click the leaves off the heads of lettuce by hand and place them in a large bowl. If using romaine, tear the leaves in halves. Slice the snap peas in halves or thirds on a steep diagonal and add them to the bowl along with the mint leaves.

Place the bacon in a large frying pan and warm it over a low flame. Cook until the fat is translucent, and at least a tablespoon of fat has rendered into the pan, about 10 minutes. Then turn the flame up to high and stir attentively for 3 to 5 minutes to brown the bacon. When the bacon is almost but not quite browned fully, turn off the flame. It’ll continue to cook in the residual heat of the pan. Stir occasionally to caramelize evenly and prevent over-browning and the resulting bitterness. After 5 minutes, use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Spread rather than pile the bacon so it remains crisp. Discard all but about 3 tablespoons of the bacon fat in the pan.

To make the vinaigrette, deglaze the bacon pan by adding the red wine vinegar and lemon juice and scraping any good bits from the pan into the acid. Add the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Swirl to combine everything, then drizzle the vinaigrette over the vegetables and toss to coat. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Toss in half of the bacon and Parmesan and spread on a large platter. Sprinkle over the remaining bacon and Parmesan and finish with an extra grind of black pepper.