WEDGE SALAD WITH BLUE CHEESE DRESSING AND SPICY BEER NUTS

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Wedge Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing and Spicy Beer Nuts image

Provided by Chuck Hughes

Categories     appetizer

Time 1h

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 23

1 bottle beer
1/2 cup Homemade Mayonnaise, recipe follows
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup crumbled Stilton cheese, plus more for garnish
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Pinch coarse or kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup pecans
1/4 cup reduced beer
1 tablespoon brown sugar
Pinch coarse salt
1/8 teaspoon ground chili powder
1 head iceberg lettuce, outer discolored leaves removed
Blue Cheese Dressing
Spicy Beer Nuts
2 whole eggs
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
4 cups canola oil
1/2 cup water
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Dash kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Steps:

  • To make the dressing: Put 1 bottle of beer in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and let it simmer until the beer is reduced by half. In a mixing bowl, put the mayonnaise, sour cream and crumbled cheese. Add 1/3 cup of the reduced beer, lemon juice, salt, and pepper, to taste. Mix well with a fork, leaving it lumpy.
  • To make the nuts: Toast the pecan halves in a medium-size, dry, nonstick pan until barely toasted, giving them a stir occasionally. Don't let them burn. Add a jolt, about 1/4 cup of reduced beer, the sugar, salt and chili powder. Let it bubble up, and reduce to lose the liquid and glaze the nuts. When the pan is dry and all the liquid has been absorbed or evaporated, take the pan off the heat.
  • Lay in one layer to cool. They will be slightly sticky, but will crisp up a bit as they cool.
  • From a head of Iceberg Lettuce, remove any wilted leaves on the outside, and remove the core, then slice the head into 4 equal wedges.
  • Drizzle the dressing over the Iceberg lettuce wedge. Put some large chunks of Stilton on top and finish the garnish with the Spicy Beer Nuts.
  • Put the eggs and mustard in a food processor. While running the machine, slowly drizzle in the oil until it gets very thick. Add some water, and then continue with the oil. Shift back and forth between the oil and water. When all is added, add the lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and pepper, to taste. Set aside.

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