Blue Cheese Romaine Salad

Combine the enhanced flavor of romaine with smidgens of bacon and our irresistible blue cheese dressing, and that old-fashioned wedge of lettuce becomes a slice of heaven.

SALAD : 8 STRIPS BACON 1 EGG 2 HEARTS ROMAINE LETTUCE SALT AND FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER BLUE CHEESE DRESSING (RECIPE BELOW)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lay the bacon strips on a roasting rack and bake in the oven until crisp, about 20 minutes. (To make bacon curls: Wrap each slices of raw bacon around a metal skewer in a barber-pole fashion and lay the skewers on the roasting rack.) When cool enough to handle, break into pieces or in half, if using curls.

Put the egg in a small saucepan with enough cold water to cover. Bring to a boil, cover, and remove from the heat. Set aside for 10 minutes. Drain the egg and roll it between your palm and the counter to crack the shell, and then peel under cool running water. Rub the egg through a fine-mesh strainer and set aside.

Remove the large outer leaves from the romaine hearts and rinse. Chop these leaves into bite-size pieces and spin dry. (Use an extremely sharp knife to minimize bruising the edges.) Halve the hearts through the cores to make 4 wedges. Rinse under cold running water and shake to air dry.

Divide the wedges among 4 plates. Mound some of the chopped romaine on top and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Spoon about 1/4 cup of Blue Cheese Dressing over each salad and top with some of the sieved egg and bacon. Pass the remaining dressing at the table.

Know-How: This is the method we use whenever we hard-cook eggs. Because they are not actually boiled, the egg's yolk doesn't turn drab green or develop a strong taste.

BLUE CHEESE DRESSING:
1 CUP MAYONNAISE
1 CUP CRUMBLED BLUE CHEESE (ABOUT 4 OUNCES)
½ CUP BUTTERMILK
1 SHALLOT, PEELED
1 TABLESPOON FRESHLY GRATED LEMON ZEST
½ TEASPOON WORESTERSHITE SAUCE
½ TEASPOON KOSHER SALT
¼ TEASPOON CELERY SEEDS
2 TABLESPOONS MINCED FRESH FLAT-LEAF PARSLEY
FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER

Pulse the mayonnaise, blue cheese, buttermilk, shallot, lemon zest, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and celery seeds in a food processor to make a chunky but pourable sauce. Stir in the parsley and season with plenty of pepper. Use immediately or refrigerate in a tightly sealed container for up to 3 days.