Recipe: Nyesha Arrington’s Bacon & Eggs

Chef Nyesha Arrington is a familiar face at the weekly Santa Monica Farmers Market, where she can be found sourcing seasonal ingredients — and inspiration! — for her recently opened restaurant, Leona. Located just a few doors down from her former mentor Josiah Citrin’s new Charcoal Venice on Washington Boulevard, it’s yet another refreshing, new addition to the neighborhood.

Known for what she calls her “progressive California cuisine,” Nyesha rose through the kitchens of Citrin and Joël Robuchon before appearing on reality cooking shows like Bravo’s “Top Chef” and the Food Network’s “Chef Hunter.” This LA native’s signature style combines classic French technique together with lessons learned cooking alongside her Korean grandmother as a child, using local, seasonal and sustainable ingredients for her “globally-inspired menu” at Leona.

Nyesha’s recipe for Bacon & Eggs is a personal twist on the American breakfast classic. Substituting Lily’s farm fresh duck eggs for regular chicken eggs, the result is a luscious play of contrasting textures. Think delicately fried, soft poached eggs crowned with a light, crispy Kennebec potato hash and flecks of Maldon sea salt and Korean red chile flakes, served in a rich bacon-infused beef broth.

For anyone apprehensive about trying duck eggs for the first time, don’t worry: they taste like a slightly richer version of chicken eggs. However, they’re larger in size, which just means more of that creamy goodness to enjoy with your Bacon & Eggs. Consider it a Leona upgrade.