SERVES:
2
INGREDIENTS:
1 large heart of Romaine, cut in half lengthwise
6 slices bacon, cooked until crisp
approx. 2 cups whole cherry tomatoes
approx. 2 Tbs chopped fresh chives (optional)
for the vinaigrette:
a scant 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 - 3 Tbs red wine vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
crack of black pepper
approx. 1 cup crumbled blue cheese
PROCEDURE:
For two salads, use a cast iron skillet or large, heavy bottomed pan to crisp up 6 slices of bacon.
While you're keeping your eye on that, make the vinaigrette by combining a scant 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil with 2 - 3 Tbs of red wine vinegar and a little dollop of Dijon mustard and a crack of black pepper and whisk it up.
You'll be crumbling blue cheese into that just before serving it and this may be more dressing than you need but it's nice to be able to add a generous amount of blue cheese to it.
Once the bacon is crisp and draining on paper towels, pour off most of the rendered bacon fat and then add two halves of Romaine lettuce to the skillet, cut side down.
Flip the lettuce once it has browned up a bit and cook it to wilt through a little bit and then divide it onto two plates.
Then add as many cherry tomatoes as you like and cook those along to blister up a little bit and then top the lettuce with the tomatoes, crumble the crispy bacon over that.
Add some crumbled blue cheese to the vinaigrette and top the salad with a generous amount of that and finish with some optional chopped fresh chives.
HINTS:
Try this same salad with sliced deli roast beef on the plate instead of crispy chopped bacon. Just use olive oil to sear the Romaine instead of bacon fat.