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Iceberg with Smoked Bacon and Buttermilk Dressing

Source of Recipe

From "Ham Biscuits and Hostess Gowns" by Julia Reed


Recipe Introduction

"Maybe the denizens of Beverly Hills like iceberg because its high water content makes them feel skinny. Robert Carter, the chef at one of my favorite American restaurants, the Peninsula Grill, in Charleston, South Carolina, features an ice-cold wedge topped with delicious buttermilk dressing and sprinkled with equally delicious 'jerky' (bacon that has been slowly rendered, rather than fried quickly), and I am not the only customer who orders it repeatedly. 'People love it,' Carter says. 'People you'd never expect to like it like it. Not just the rednecks like me.' Indeed, the most popular salad on the menu at the coffee shop at the Beverly Hills Hotel is Gary's Salad, composed of chopped iceberg, turkey, egg whites, onion, oil and vinegar, and Russian dressing—but then, of course, L.A. never went as mesclun crazy as its neighbor to the north. Maybe the denizens of Beverly Hills like iceberg because its high water content makes them feel skinny. Carter, who does have 'wild corn lettuce' on his menu, says he finds iceberg more 'soothing and refreshing.' And, he says, 'When it's really cold, the water inside the leaves is almost frozen.' The fact that the leaves are also virtually tasteless is a plus. Iceberg is all about texture—it's the perfect delivery system for rich dressings like Thousand Island and blue cheese and Carter's buttermilk, though he took a risk when he first offered up his salad. A local critic had recently panned another restaurant whose crime had been to serve iceberg. 'I put mine on knowing that,' Carter says, 'but it was such a big hit, now several upscale restaurants in town have it on the menu.'"

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 2 heads iceberg lettuce
â—¦ 8 ripe Roma tomatoes, sliced thin
â—¦ 2 cups Buttermilk Herb Dressing (recipe follows)
â—¦ 12 slices smoked bacon, diced into ½-inch pieces (about 2 cups), and fried


Recipe

Trim the loose outer leaves from the heads of iceberg, cut each into four wedges, and place in the freezer for 10 minutes before serving, along with four serving plates.

Remove the chilled plates and arrange each with a circle of sliced tomatoes. Set a wedge in the center of each plate. Nap with ¼ cup of the dressing.

Sprinkle bacon over each wedge. Serve immediately.

Makes 8 servings





Buttermilk Herb Dressing:

â—¦ 1 ½ cups sour cream
â—¦ 1 cup buttermilk
â—¦ ½ cup mayonnaise
â—¦ ½ cup grated Asiago or Parmesan cheese
â—¦ 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
â—¦ 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
â—¦ 4 teaspoons finely chopped fresh parsley
â—¦ 4 teaspoons cider vinegar
â—¦ 2 teaspoons sugar
â—¦ 2 teaspoons minced garlic
â—¦ 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
â—¦ 1 healthy pinch of salt
â—¦ 1 healthy pinch of freshly ground white pepper

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Chill overnight to allow flavors to develop.

Makes about 3 cups