Summer is underway now, and for me there's nothing like a chill and crisp salad for lunch or dinner when it's hot out. Iceberg is my favorite lettuce (perhaps an unpopular opinion nowadays but so be it), and I'm hoping this recipe might make a convert out of you as well.
4 tsp white wine vinegar
1/3 cup milk
6 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
1/3 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp granulated white sugar or honey
1 tsp Bernise
pinch of salt
One washed, trimmed, and chilled head of iceberg lettuce, get a big one that feels heavy for its size
1 small red or sweet onion, chopped
6-8 pieces of thick cut bacon, cooked and cut into 1/4" batons
two cups of halved cherry tomatoes or chopped ripe tomato
6-8 ounces of cubed blue cheese
good pepper, Tellicherry, Kampot, etc. or a blend like Pierre if you like
Place four plates in the fridge to chill.
In a medium bowl mix the milk and vinegar. Let sit for 5 minutes then stir well. Add crumbled blue cheese and mash with a fork until well combined. Add the remaining ingredients, stir well, then adjust seasoning to your tastes. Will keep for at least a week in the refrigerator. This is the same dressing I use for my crispy wings.
Using a sharp knife slice the lettuce into quarters.
Plate the lettuces, top with dressing and the other ingredients, dividing everything evenly (though I always find there are people who want a bit more bacon and/or blue cheese). Finish with a generous quantity of ground pepper.
• You can also serve this as a chopped salad, in this case core the iceberg and cut the leaves into strips or squares. Serve in shallow bowls.
• Try another spice in the dressing for an easy twist. Mishmish N33 is unexpectedly great.
• If you don't eat bacon you can always substitute pieces of pan-fried chicken thigh and/or gribenes. Try adding a pinch or two of Smoked Salt N8 to add that lovely smoky flavor.
• This salad is perfect alongside a grilled ribeye. You can even grill the lettuce if you like for a fun flavor (iceberg stands up very well to quick heat), just brush the wedges with olive oil, and optionally a bit of Redhead Hot Sauce (this is especially great with the Mishmish variant dressing above) and cook each cut side for a minute or two over a hot flame.
Questions? Contact christian@laboiteny.com
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