Here is an updated take on the “Wedge” salad. The Moped of salads-you would never want your friends to see you on one, but they’re fun to drive. Moist and crunchy, rich, creamy and tangy, sweet and smoky, the wedge salad hits on so many of the components that make a great dish. Here, I sub in Little Gem lettuce for the iceberg, and it works well as long as the leaves are firm and crisp.
INGREDIENTS:
1 large head or 4 small heads Little Gem lettuce 4 slices thick cut bacon, cut into ¼-inch batons and cooked crisp and drained 1 large tomato, seeded and drained, diced ¼-inch ½ cup blue cheese dressing, roughly (see recipe)
METHOD:
Use scissors to trim off the ends of the lettuce leaves if they are very thin. Cut the lettuce heads into fairly wide (2 to 2½ inches at the widest point) wedges through the root end. Use a knife to trim the base of the lettuce so there is just enough to hold the wedges together. Chill lettuce before serving. (It just tastes best that way.)
Lay the lettuce wedges onto plates, alternating so they are base to tip. This is so when they are cut into there is always some real crunchy bits with more tender parts. Spoon dressing over each salad, then scatter with bacon and then tomato.
Serve right away.
Chef’s Notes:
Some people add hard-boiled egg or chives or scallions to the salad, but I think it is overkill. I feel the egg gets lost in the salad, and there is enough “funk” from the blue cheese that the chive/scallion is sort of redundant, as well as distracting from the interplay of the other ingredients. Romaine hearts will work here, as would iceberg. Just remember that the lettuce needed to make this salad a success must be very crisp and very sturdy. Soft lettuces simply wilt under the dressing and are overwhelmed.
Serves: 2
Source: Chef Andrew E Cohen
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