Classic Wedge Salad

“A big piece of chilled iceberg lettuce is topped in a dressing that’s rich, tart, creamy and herby, with a strong finishing note of black pepper.” — Freddy Laliberté
Ingredients
Serves 4
Heavily Herbed Buttermilk Ranch Dressing (batch)
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 cup full-fat (14%) sour cream
- 1 cup finely chopped fresh dill fronds
- 1/4 cup finely diced (brunoise) shallots
- 3 cloves finely minced garlic
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp sea salt
- 1 tbsp freshly cracked black pepper
- Zest 1 lemon
- 3 dashes hot sauce
Salad
- 1 head iceberg lettuce
- 1 cup Heavily Herbed Buttermilk
- Ranch Dressing (see previous column)
- 1 beefsteak tomato, diced
- 1 cup crumbled blue cheese (or to taste)
- 8 slices cooked bacon, whole or crumbled
- 4 radishes, cut into thin slices (use a mandoline)
- 1 green onion, finely sliced, for garnish
Directions
Make Dressing
- In bowl, combine all ingredients. Stir well. Set aside to pour over wedge salad. (Also great as a dip for crudités.) Refrigerate leftover dressing for up to 1 week.
Make Salad
- With sharp knife, trim base of iceberg lettuce a bit. Remove parts of stem that will be unpleasant to eat but leave just enough to help hold wedges together.
- Placing stem-side upright on cutting board, cut head of lettuce in half. Then place each half cut-side down, and cut each half into 2 or 3 wedges, depending on number of guests.
- Arrange each wedge cut-side up on serving plate. Pour about . cup of dressing over each serving but add more if needed for coverage — toppings need something to stick to.
- Sprinkle each wedge evenly with tomato, blue cheese, bacon and radish slices. Garnish with green onions.
- Carry slowly to table, lest your delicious toppings tumble to the floor.
Source
Recipes from Heydays at The June Motel: Beach Town Classics by Freddy Laliberté and Evan Baulch, with Katie Laliberté and Emma Baulch. ©2024 Freddy Laliberté and Evan Baulch, with Katie Laliberté and Emma Baulch. Published by House of Anansi Press
- Photographer Lauren Miller