Wedge Salad

I was in the mood for a salad that Barbrix calls the wedge. It hadn't been on their menu for a while. We decide to make it ourselves using a recipe for Iceberg lettuce salad with roquefort-butter miIk dressing from New Classic Family Dinners by Mark Peel. We augmented the salad with Bacon (my favorite seasoning!). It was great. I hope Barbrix puts it on their menu again!

Iceberg lettuce salad with roquefort-butter miIk dressing

New Classic Family Dinners

Mark Peel

[makes 6 servings]

Many salads are really about the dressing, and some more than othets. That would certainly apply here. The blue cheese is the source of 95 percent of this salad's flavor and at least 90 percent of its calories. But the salad is also about texture, and that comes from the crunchy, juicy, thirst-quenching lettuce. Many chefs turn their noses up at iceberg lettuce, but I welcome it in this classic steak house salad. Look for a large head of iceberg lettuce that is dense for its size, or you'll be disappointed when you cut it into wedges and find very little lettuce and a lot of air. I've heard people say that you shouldn't waste good blue cheese on a salad dressing, but I disagree. You should definitely use the best Roquefort you can get to make the best possible dressing. Making the dressing a day ahead of time and letting it sit overnight allows the garlic to mellow and the mixture to thicken. Make sure to rub the thyme leaves between your fingers when you add them to the top of the salad; rubbing the leaves releases their aroma and flavor.

ROQUEFORT-BUTTERMILK DRESSING

1       small garlic clove, halved, green shoot removed

Pinch of kosher salt

2       teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves

¾      cup buttermilk

4       ounces Roquefort cheese, crumbled

(1/2 cup tightly packed)

½      teaspoon cracked black peppercorns

SALAD

1       large dense head of iceberg lettuce

Freshly ground black pepper

3       ounces Roquefort cheese, crumbled (about ½ cup)

1       tablespoon thyme leaves

2       tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1.             Make the dressing: Place the garlic, salt, and thyme in a mortar and pestle with I teaspoon of the buttermilk, and grind the garlic to a paste. Using a fork, whisk in the Roquefort, remaining buttermilk, and the pepper Cover and let sit overnight. Stir together before serving.

2.             Make the salad: Strip off the dark outer leaves of the lettuce. Cut the lettuce through the core into 6 wedges. Don't cut away the core, because the core holds the wedge together.

3.             Place each wedge on a salad plate or a platter and spoon on 2 to 4 tablespoons Roquefort-buttermilk dressing (to taste). Grind on some pepper and top each wedge with a tablespoon of crumbled Roquefort; ½ teaspoon of rubbed thyme leaves, and a teaspoon of parsley, Serve cold.

NOTE Fresh garlic only! Pre-minced garlic in olive oil is never a useful alternative to freshly minced garlic because it's bitter Using this product is a good way to mess up a perfectly good recipe. It isn't even permitted for use in restaurants by the health department because it's susceptible to botulism.