Baby Head Lettuce Salad with Caramelized California Avocados

HomeRecipesOtherChef RecipesBaby Head Lettuce Salad with Caramelized California Avocados

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Serves: 6

Ingredients
Instructions

As needed Roquefort Herb Vinaigrette (recipe follows) As needed Bacon Confit (recipe follows) 12 heads sweet/mild baby lettuces (Lola Rossa, Green Leaf, Bibb, etc.), cleaned, separated into leaves 2 each large Fresh California Avocados*, peeled, seeded, cut into 6 wedges As needed Granulated sugar as needed As needed Oil as needed Roquefort Herb Vinaigrette (Yield: 3 cups) 1 shallot 1 oz. wholegrain mustard 2 oz. maple syrup 4 oz. golden balsamic vinegar 1 tsp. sea salt 1/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper 4 oz. mild extra virgin olive oil 4 oz. rice bran or canola oil 1 Tbsp. fresh tarragon, chopped 1 Tbsp. fresh marjoram, chopped 4 oz. Roquefort cheese, crumbled Bacon Confit 1 lb. piece of Applewood-smoked slab bacon, cut 1" thick, rind removed

Roquefort Herb Vinaigrette:

Combine the shallot, mustard, maple syrup, golden balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper in a blender. Blend until shallot is finely chopped. Slowly add the oils in a thin stream to emulsify. Transfer to a bowl and add the herbs and cheese and whisk lightly to combine, leaving chunks of cheese.

Bacon Confit:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Place the bacon into a pan that is slightly larger than the bacon. Roast the bacon fat side up for 2-3 hours until bacon is tender and golden brown. It should be totally caramelized. Drain on paper towels. Cut into 1/4-inch lardons. Reserve at room temperature if using right away, otherwise refrigerate until needed. Bring to room temperature before use.
Alternatively, vacuum pack the bacon and cook in a thermal bath at 185 degrees for 24 hours. Cool, and finish at 400 degrees for 10 minutes until brown. Continue as directed above.

Salad:

Place the lettuce leaves in a large bowl and dress lightly. Set aside.
Dust the cut sides of the avocado slices with the granulated sugar. Heat a non-stick pan with a small amount of oil over medium heat. Sauté the avocado slices until the sugar is caramelized.

To Assemble:

Divide the lettuce among 6 chilled plates. Garnish each with several lardons of Bacon Confit, and 2 slices of the caramelized avocado. Drizzle with dressing. Serve.

* A large Fresh California Avocado weighs about 8 oz.

*Large avocados are recommended for this recipe. A large avocado averages about 8 ounces. If using smaller or larger size avocados adjust the quantity accordingly.