Southern Wilted Lettuce Salad Recipe
The Kentucky Derby is next week and we are looking forward to one of our favorite Southern dishes featuring Kentucky's own Broadbent bacon.
Southern Wilted Lettuce Salad
- 5oz Container of Dandelion greens (or arugala, endives, mizuna, or other similarly hearty bitter spicy greens)
- 1lb Broadbent Bacon
- 3 Shallots (½ a shallot minced, the remainder sliced.)
- 3oz of apple cider vinegar
- 2-3Tbls reserved bacon drippings
- Burlap and Barrel Robusta Black Peppercorns - to taste
- 1Tsp Wilder Mustard
- 1Tbls Andrew’s Wildflower Honey
Preparation:
1. Assemble a large platter with greens and top with sliced shallots.
2. Slice Bacon ends into ⅛” matchsticks (Lardons) and cook in a pan over medium heat until crispy and the fat has rendered out. Set lardons aside and pour the grease out into a heat safe pitcher.
3. In a small mixing bowl, add ½ shallot minced, apple cider vinegar, honey, and mustard and slowly stream in reserved bacon fat while whisking until an emulsion is established.
4. Garnish the salad with bacon lardons and pour the warm bacon vinaigrette over the entire salad to “Kill” or wilt the greens. Serve warm.
Be sure to enjoy the salad while it is warm. Otherwise, the bacon fat will congeal and the texture will not be as desirable.