What a nickname, Good Donny. It’s a nickname most people couldn’t live up to. His grandkids gave him that one and nobody has found grounds to disagree. Like the name implies, he’s a good guy. Good Donny’s son, Benji, came by wielding some of the best pork cracklings we’d ever had. They were the perfect salty blend of tender, crisp, and crunch. Benji went on and on about how he had to beg Good Donny to give him just half a bag. Turns out that a friend of Good Donny’s makes them and this friend is getting on up in age, meaning every batch might be the last. You would have thought Benji was passing out gold doubloons. Next time we saw Good Donny we made a point to tell him how crazy we were for those cracklings. The following day, Donny showed up with five pint bags full of those golden crispy treasures. When Benji came by a few days later, my husband, Donald, retrieved a bag that he had hidden away. Benji was beside himself with envy.

　　

Ingredients

serves 4

　　4 ounces young dandelion greens

　　2 thick slices bacon, chopped

　　3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

　　1 teaspoon cane syrup

　　1/2 teaspoon whole-grain mustard

　　Salt and freshly ground black pepper

　　4 large white mushrooms, sliced

　　2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion

　　2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped

　　1 cup pork cracklings

　　

Step 1

Remove the stems from the dandelion greens and wash the leaves, drain, and pat dry thoroughly. Put the greens in a large bowl and set aside.

　　

Step 2

In a small saucepan set over medium heat, fry the bacon until crisp. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel to drain, reserving 3 tablespoons of the rendered fat in the pan. Crumble the bacon and set aside.

　　

Step 3

Make a dressing by whisking the red wine vinegar, cane syrup, and mustard into the warm bacon drippings and season with salt and pepper.

　　

Step 4

Add the mushrooms and onion to the greens. Add the dressing and bacon and toss to combine. Divide the salad among 4 plates or bowls and evenly divide the egg among them. Sprinkle the top of each salad with cracklings.

　　

Notes

Step 5

Use very young crowns of dandelions; they become more bitter with age (like me).

　　

Step 6

For an alternative version with a touch of sweetness, omit the egg and add 1 diced Granny Smith apple and 2 tablespoons chopped dried cranberries or pomegranate seeds.

　　A Southerly Course