Dinner Tonight: Blue Smoke’s Iceberg Wedges with Roquefort Dressing
So I messed up, which is kind of disconcerting with a recipe as straightforward as this one for iceberg wedges with Roquefort dressing. Essentially, you combine all the dressing ingredients in a bowl and serve it on the lettuce. Easy enough. But it wasn’t until halfway through the salad that I realized I had substituted yogurt for mayonnaise, and that was probably why the salad felt so light. Healthier does not always mean tastier, but I was surprised how much I enjoyed the salad. I’m still trying to figure out how it happened.
The original recipe, sans yogurt, comes from Peace, Love, and Barbecue, a book I’ve been dying to explore. Jeffrey Steingarten’s intro starts with the line, “This is the last cookbook you will ever need.” But since I have no grill or a place to use it, I’m left picking out side dishes for my imaginary barbecue cookout, which is a sad exercise. The sides are great, but without a huge slab of slowly smoked meat next to it, context might be lost. I’m sure the original with mayonnaise is the proper way to go, but if you just need a little crunchy summer salad to not weigh you down, then I think my interpretation is worth trying.
About the author: Nick Kindelsperger is a co-founder of The Paupered Chef, a blog dedicated to saving time and money while enjoying food in every way possible. He sells wine for a living and lives in Columbus, Ohio.
Blue Smoke’s Iceberg Wedges with Roquefort Dressing
- serves 4 -
Adapted from Peace, Love and Barbecue by Mike Mills and Amy Mills Tunnicliffe.
Ingredients
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise (or yogurt)
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon garlic, chopped
4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 cup Roquefort cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
salt and pepper
1 head iceberg lettuce
Procedure
1. Combine the sour cream, mayonnaise (or yogurt), Worcestershire sauce, garlic, and vinegar in a large bowl. Whisk together. Then fold in the cheese and parsley.
2. Cut the lettuce into four wedges. Pour the dressing on top.
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15 Comments:
I think the presentation in the image is really cute! Serious(eats)ly;
I haven't even seen a head of iceberg lettuce served like that!
Plus anything with Roquefort cheese HAS to be scrumptious!
hungrychristel at 5:50PM on 06/06/08
Funny...I'd never heard of serving lettuce like that either, and now this is the second time in two days that I have. (First time was on Pioneer Woman's site just yesterday.) At first glance, it seems like it might be a little boring, but I guess if you have a fabulous dressing, it makes up for a lot.
CanadaPat at 6:22PM on 06/06/08
Half a cup of sour cream and you're worried about mayonnaise?? :D
But I've enjoyed these salads for a while. I first had one at a restaurant called Sullivan's, outside of Philadelphia, which served a quarter of an iceberg lettuce with blue cheese dressing, diced tomatoes, and (real) bacon bits. Simple and very tasty.
thattallguy at 6:28PM on 06/06/08
When we were kids and went out for dinner, my father used to request a "wedge of iceburg" and dressing on the side. Most servers would roll their eyes and grin. Often times they would bring a bowl of tossed iceburg, and my father would protest. They would invariably return with the requested "wedge of iceburg", dressing on the side AND the chef! Apparently he was ahead of his time! At 86, his salad preference is still the same, only now his wife presents it instead.
Boscompb at 10:27AM on 06/07/08
I don't know at what point steakhouses decided that a wedge of iceberg lettuce was a salad, but I think there's a really lazy garde manger somewhere laughing behind his hand.
I'm not sure, in fact, that iceberg belongs anywhere but tuna fish sandwiches.
gildeddawn at 11:26AM on 06/07/08
The iceburg wedge salad is not a new thing; it's just making a comeback. It was popular in the 50s and again in the 70s. Boscompb, your dad may have had it when he was a kid. It was considered quite sophisticated in its heyday.
We often had iceburg salads (chopped, not wedged) when I was a kid. My mother made blue cheese dressing, but my favorite salad of this kind came from a Greenwich, CT steak house we used to go to on special occasions. The name escapes me, but I think it is still there. Chopped iceburg, in red wine vinagrette, which tons of roquefort.
I usually make salads with baby greens, or romaine, but now I'm really craving a retro salad.
bonnie at 2:02PM on 06/07/08
when i was a kid thats the kind of salad my mom used to make us......the dressing was mayo an ketchup mixed together....her version of french dressing...lol....which i still make from time to time......
onepercent99 at 8:26AM on 06/09/08
Mmm... I first started seeing iceburg wedge salads about a year ago, and all I could think was, "Really? A wedge of water and plant fiber?" I've since had one of these types of "salads," served with bits of bacon and chopped tomatos, and it was so filling and refreshing that I'm looking forward to making this for dinner tonight! Plus, no cooking, which is perfect for the 90+ heatwave in the Northeast right now.
leeapeea at 10:16AM on 06/09/08
My husband and I saw this on a menu at a local restaurant about 2 years ago. It was served with a killer blue cheese dressing and local tomatoes and real bacon bits. Maybe it's the nostalgia factor but it became an instant fav with us. Something about the crunch of iceburg with the creamy blue cheese, the crunch of bacon and the moisture kick from the tomatoes...yum. I make it for dinner parties now and everyone loves it. Simple and satisfying.
gypsey91 at 11:05AM on 06/11/08
I've been seeing this for a few years. On many menus it's called a "wedge salad." I can be a fan of iceberg at times. Iceberg is more enjoyable in chunks though as opposed to broken up in to separate little leaves - so I can see the appeal.
I am sure there are great margins on this menu item too....
Gizmosma at 11:48AM on 06/11/08
Yeah, we all know iceberg lettuce has absolutely no nutritional value. That's not the point. It's the perfect foil for that unctous, yummy, gooey, wonderful blue cheese dressing. And tho this Roquefort recipe sounds very good, I would still sprinkle on those bacon bits.
muzzlet at 2:56PM on 06/11/08
Disagreeing on the wedge concept. Just doesn't work on "any level" for me. Visually unappealing and dressing served on rock.
There are places that iceberg works however, like tuna fish and tomato sandwich and, a BLT.
Yes....that's it.
cher128 at 8:13PM on 06/11/08
How do you even eat this? Can you cut it with a knife on your salad plate without shooting chunks of Roquefort across the table at your dinner partner?
akk328 at 12:45PM on 06/12/08
Iceberg lettuce may not contain all of the antioxidant rich plant nutrients
found in deep green leafy salad choices such as spinach and arugula; but it gets this dietitian's approval because it's so high in water content and helps to fill you up without filling you out. It even helps hydrate your body just like water in a glass. OK OK..the blue cheese dressing is a splurge but don't think that eating iceberg is a waste of time. As far as dining wedge-iquette goes- yes you do use a knife and fork to cut the lettuce into bite size pieces. And please don't cut it all up at once creating a messy pile of chopped lettuce. Maintain the art of the wedge.
thedish at 6:37PM on 06/12/08
I used to be ashamed to admit that I love iceberg lettuce, but now I don't care what people think. It's cool and crunchy--I frequently add it to my leafy salads, and it's always so refreshing to get a bite of it with the soft stuff. And it's a nice foil for bitter greens. One of my favorite snacks used to be a slice of cheddar with some iceberg wrapped around it. The nice crunch with the texture of the cheese is great!
jenjen at 9:13PM on 06/12/08