Poached Egg with Smoked Salmon and Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette

Whisk together the minced onion, lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a bowl. The onion should surrender its sharpness to the acid.

In a separate bowl, combine the warm potatoes, spinach, and fennel. Toss with the vinaigrette until the spinach begins to wilt slightly from the residual heat of the potatoes.

Bring a shallow pan of water to a gentle simmer—bubbles should rise lazily, like thoughts in the morning. Add the vinegar.

Crack each egg into a small cup first, then slip them one by one into the barely simmering water. The whites should embrace the yolk like fog around a mountain. (Fresh eggs hold together best—older eggs will scatter like sheep in a storm)

Poach for exactly 1 minute and 20 seconds, then lift each egg with a slotted spoon, letting the excess water drain away.

Arrange the smoked salmon on each plate—roll it loosely, none of this precious fussing. Top with the dressed salad and crown with a poached egg.

Finish with a few grinds of black pepper. The yolk, when broken, should flow like liquid gold across the plate.