A Lighter, Simple Blue Cheese Dressing

This dressing is a lighter version of the rich creamy blue cheese dressing of our “salad days” (Sorry, could NOT resist!), and is simpler and quick to assemble. Use good ingredients, and use a younger, less pungent blue cheese that is slightly sweet.

INGREDIENTS:

METHOD:

If using the garlic clove, rub the inside bottom of a non-reactive bowl with the garlic clove to flavor the bowl.

Place the vinegar in the bowl and add the pepper, sugar, and, if using, garlic powder. Whisk vigorously to incorporate the seasonings into the vinegar.

Use you fingers to crumble the cheese into the vinegar. It should be fairly small, like small curd cottage cheese, or smaller. Use a fork to mash some of the cheese into paste.

Slowly drizzle in the oil, whisking all the while to form an emulsion. Use the whisk to scrape up the cheese paste stuck to the bowl bottom.

Add 3 tablespoons labne and whisk in. Taste, and add the rest of the labne if needed. The dressing should have a tang, but not an aggressive edge to it. Add the rest of the labne to soften the dressing. If needed, add a touch more sugar if the dressing is too tart. And of course, add more cheese if you want.

Remember this: The flavor of the dressing will improve after it has had some time for the flavors to meld. The cheese will take time to permeate the entire dressing, so give it at least 20 minutes for the flavors to “get right”.

Chef’s Notes:

*Labne is also known as Yogurt Cheese, Kefir Cheese, Strained Yogurt, and is sometimes spelled Labneh or Lebni. It is quite thick, but not as tart as Greek style yogurt. It makes a good substitute for sour cream.

Yield: Enough for 4 lightly dressed salads or 2 heavily dressed.

Source: Chef Andrew E Cohen