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CHOPPED BACON SALAD

1 tablespoons avocado oil
1 pound QUALITY bacon 
6 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
5 tablespoon raw slivered almonds
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper, to taste
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons QUALITY honey 
1 large shallot, THINLY sliced (see notes)
2 heads romaine, chopped
3 cups mixed chopped radicchio, frisée and trimmed fennel
1 tablespoon FRESH thyme leaves
1/4 cup FRESH chopped flat leaf Italian parsley

• Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
• When hot, cook the bacon slices in batches in the hot oil, turning them regularly and adding more slices, one by one, as the first slices brown and shrink.
• When crumbly crisp and browned to your desire, about 10 to 12 minutes, transfer bacon slices to a paper towel-lined plate. Drain, (reserving the drainings for the dressing) all BUT 1 tablespoons of fat from the pan. 

• Add the garlic to the pan. Cook, stirring often until the edges of the garlic start to turn golden.
• Add the almonds and continue cooking, 5-7 minutes, stirring, until both the garlic and almonds look golden and toasted.
• Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to the paper towel-lined plate also. Do not discard the pan drippings. You will use them in the dressing.

• In a large bowl, mix the red wine vinegar and honey with a whisk until dissolved then add the shallot, season with salt and pepper. Set aside for 5 minutes.
• Pour in  5 tablespoons of the warm pan drippings from the skillet while straining it into the vinegar mixture.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper, whisk again.
• Drizzle vinaigrette over bowl of greens and herbs, tossing well.
• To serve, top the salad with the crispy garlic and almonds then crumble the bacon over it tossing it again as desired. 

NOTES:

• I often will crisp additional shallots for the top of the salad.
• I also add a handful of halved grape tomatoes and/or chopped hard salami when I have it on hand.