RECIPE: Make The Americano’s Wedge Salad
My girlfriends and I love wedge salads and the one at The Americano at the InterContinental in Buckhead is fabulous. I think it’s the dressing that makes the difference. Is that the secret? — Rachel Adams, Atlanta
The Americano bills itself as a steakhouse, so it’s almost de rigueur that a wedge salad would be part of the menu. When he sent over the recipe, executive chef Scott Conant wrote, “Our wedge salad is a riff on a steakhouse classic and whenever you’re doing that, I think it’s vital to hit the promise of what’s made it a classic and then make small tweaks to personalize the dish. This rendition delivers on both of these points.”
Baby iceberg lettuce is a miniature head of iceberg lettuce, weighing about 1/4 pound, and may be available at your grocery store. If you can’t find this small lettuce, use the tender heart of a larger head of iceberg.
The Americano’s Wedge Salad
- 1/4 pound bacon strips, cut into 1/4-inch wide slices
- 4 heads of baby iceberg lettuce (about 4 ounces each)
- 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles
- Buttermilk Blue Cheese Dressing (see recipe)
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, to finish
- 2 tablespoons chives, cut into 2-inch pieces, for garnish
- Line a plate with two paper towels.
- In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the fat has been released and the bacon is crisp, about 4 minutes. Transfer bacon to the prepared plate. Discard fat in skillet or reserve for another use.
- Break each iceberg head apart and arrange largest leaves on four chilled salad plates. Divide bacon into four portions and put some of the bacon on each plate. Divide tomato into four portions and put some of the tomatoes on each plate. Divide blue cheese crumbles into four portions and put some on each plate. Layer on more lettuce, adding bacon, tomatoes and blue cheese crumbles until all are used. Drizzle each salad with 1/4 cup Buttermilk Blue Cheese Dressing and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Garnish with chives. Serve immediately.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per serving: 510 calories (percent of calories from fat, 83), 14 grams protein, 7 grams carbohydrates, 5 grams total sugars, 2 grams fiber, 47 grams total fat (11 grams saturated), 47 milligrams cholesterol, 862 milligrams sodium.Buttermilk Blue Cheese Dressing
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup full-fat buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon chopped chives
- 1 teaspoon Champagne vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon microplaned garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon dried red chili flakes
- 2 tablespoons blue cheese crumbles
- Kosher salt, to taste
- In a medium bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, buttermilk, chives, vinegar, mustard, garlic and red chili flakes. Stir in blue cheese crumbles. Taste for seasoning and add salt, if needed.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per 1/4-cup serving: 207 calories (percent of calories from fat, 95), 2 grams protein, 1 gram carbohydrates, 1 gram total sugars, trace fiber, 22 grams total fat (4 grams saturated), 15 milligrams cholesterol, 292 milligrams sodium.Note: For nutritional calculations, the salt included is defined as 1/16 teaspoon.
From the menu of ... The Americano, InterContinental Buckhead Atlanta, 3315 Peachtree Road NE, Atlanta; 404-946-9070, theamericanorestaurant.com/atlanta.
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